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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29251506">Labyrinth of Our Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dinkel/pseuds/Dinkel'>Dinkel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Windmills [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Southern Vampire Mysteries - Charlaine Harris, True Blood (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Friendship/Love, Godric Lives (True Blood), Hurt/Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:41:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>69,087</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29251506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dinkel/pseuds/Dinkel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>3rd in the series after "Windmills of Your Mind" and "Heroes of My Heart". A routine checkup throws Liv for a loop and sends her and Godric on a whole new journey. (Eric does not intend to be left behind.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eric Northman &amp; Original Female Character, Godric &amp; Eric Northman, Godric/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Windmills [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1532552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Mit dem Paukenschlag</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><i><span class="u">Disclaimer</span>: All characters, places, objects, concepts etc. that you recognise from the </i>Southern Vampire Mysteries<i> or </i>True Blood<i> belong to Charlaine Harris or their respective copyright owners. This story is not meant to offend anyone and I do not make any money with it.</i></p><p> </p><p>  <i></i><span class="u">Author's Note</span>: So we meet again! It's been more or less a year (and it's been more or less of a year) and I'm back with a new little story about Godric and Liv (and Eric) and their continued adventures...<br/>So, yes, this is the third story in this series, following <b>Windmills of Your Mind</b> and <b>Heroes of My Heart</b>. If you haven't read the first two parts yet, this story might not be the best place for you to start. Just saying.<br/>Other than that, I hope you enjoy!</p><p> </p><p>  <i><span class="u">Universe</span>: This story is set mostly in the universe of the TV show </i>True Blood<i>, and takes up somewhere around the beginning of season 4 - though with some rather significant changes as you might have guessed.</i></p><p> </p><p>  <i><span class="u"><b>Warnings</b></span>: Mentions of past suicidal thoughts, abuse and rape. Psychological torture, non-consensual medical procedures.</i></p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><i><span class="u">Disclaimer:</span> All characters, places, objects, concepts etc. that you recognise from the </i>Southern Vampire Mysteries<i> or </i>True Blood<i> belong to Charlaine Harris or their respective copyright owners. This story is not meant to offend anyone and I do not make any money with it.</i></p><p>
  <i></i><span class="u">Author's Note:</span> So we meet again! It's been more or less a year (and it's been more or less of a year) and I'm back with a new little story about Godric and Liv (and Eric) and their continued adventures...<br/>So, yes, this is the third story in this series, following <b>Windmills of Your Mind</b> and <b>Heroes of My Heart</b>. If you haven't read the first two parts yet, this story might not be the best place for you to start. Just saying.<br/>Other than that, I hope you enjoy!
</p><p><i><span class="u">Universe:</span> This story is set mostly in the universe of the TV show </i>True Blood, and takes up somewhere around the beginning of season 4 - though with some rather significant changes as you might have guessed. Some of the chapters might include dialogue from the show, though I might use it in a different context or tweak it a little to suit my story. But just assume that anything that sounds familiar is from the show.</p><p>
  <b><span class="u">Warnings:</span> Mentions of past suicidal thoughts, abuse and rape. Psychological torture, non-consensual medical procedures.</b>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>1. Mit dem Paukenschlag – Symphony No. 94 – Joseph Haydn</strong>
</p>
<p>Godric woke to silence. The quiet in his mind was so complete and absolute that his own rising panic felt like a shattering scream. Eric was still fast asleep next to him, the younger vampire's arm dropping heavily back onto the covers when he jumped out of bed. It was barely after noon and he could sense Liv nearby, perhaps upstairs in her room or in the ground-floor living area. But she had blocked their connection, which was like an alarm going off in his brain. Liv clung to her composure and self-control as a matter of necessity and always tried to deal with her feelings in the privacy of her own mind before burdening anyone else, even Godric, with them, and if she had withdrawn now, consciously or unconsciously, it meant that something was seriously wrong. He needed to get to her.</p>
<p>Godric knew that there was a way to open the safety doors to their bunker even during the day. Eric had shown him, more than once, but the little touch-screen panel next to the entrance looked as unmanageable to him as it always did, glaring its strange magic back at him as he hesitantly placed his hand on the cool screen. He turned away quickly and instead located Eric's mobile phone on the nightstand. It was hanging on a cable, connected to a socket in the wall. Godric wasn't sure if he was allowed to pull it off, but he took the phone in hand and carefully maneuvered through the steps Eric had explained to him, over and over again, until his fingers were moving almost on their own. As long as he didn't start to think about it.</p>
<p>Liv picked up after only a few rings. "Godric?"</p>
<p>"Liv, cridiíon imon, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"</p>
<p>Liv took a long breath, making several false starts that only increased Godric's worry. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I woke you."</p>
<p>"Liv…" Godric pleaded. "Please tell me what's wrong. Has something happened to your aunts?"</p>
<p>"No, they're fine. They're both fine," Liv murmured, followed by a long, long pause. "I'm sorry. I don't know…"</p>
<p>"Cridiíon imon, just talk to me," Godric pleaded. "Did something upset you at work?"</p>
<p>"No," Liv answered quietly. "No, not at work. Not directly."</p>
<p>"Then what has upset you so?" Godric asked gently, curling his hands into fists, digging his nails into his palms to keep the panic out of his voice. "Please, Liv, will you come downstairs? You've blocked me again, but I know that you're upset and I'm worried about you. I don't want you to be alone."</p>
<p>"I can't," Liv argued helplessly. "Godric…"</p>
<p>"Liv, are you hurt? Do you need me to call for help? Liv?" Godric asked urgently, wishing he had more to go on than what little he could hear over the phone.</p>
<p>"I'm not hurt," Liv tried to assure him. "Is Eric up yet?"</p>
<p>"I can wake him up," Godric offered immediately, glancing at his sleeping progeny. "Do you want us to come upstairs?"</p>
<p>"No, no," Liv answered quickly. "Don't wake him. I just… I have to tell you something and I know you're going to be upset." She sniffed, her voice so small and muffled that Godric suspected that she had hidden her face against her knees. "I want Eric to be there for you. I can't… I don't want to lose you."</p>
<p>"You're never to lose me, I promise," Godric protested, alarmed when that only seemed to upset Liv more, her breathing becoming uneven and panicked. "Cridiíon imon… please come downstairs. We don't have to talk, you don't have to tell me anything, but please… please, Liv, I need to see you."</p>
<p>He listened to Liv's hitching breaths, the too-fast flutter of her heart for almost a minute before she agreed in a small voice. He could hear her get up and start to move, but time seemed to drag for a small eternity before the safety door finally released. Godric carelessly dropped the phone from his hand and was at Liv's side a moment later though he hesitated to reach out to her, afraid that she would not welcome his touch at the moment.</p>
<p>Liv looked lost and fragile as she hovered uncertainly on the threshold, her eyes red and glazed as if she had been crying, her milky skin almost translucently pale except for the dark shadows under her eyes, her slender frame trembling as if she was in shock.</p>
<p>"Would it be okay if I took you into my arms?" Godric asked very softly, relieved when Liv gave a minute nod.</p>
<p>He moved in to fold her in his arms, carefully cradling her head to his chest and wincing when Liv lost the battle against her tears. "Oh, Liv, shh, shh… It's okay, I promise, it's all going to be okay. I've got you, cridiíon imon, we'll figure it out. I promise."</p>
<p>"Godric…" Liv clutched tighter to him, burying her face against his chest. "Please…"</p>
<p>"Anything," Godric promised, rubbing small circles against her back, feeling the heaving breaths that shook her lithe form. "I'll do anything for you, Liv. You know that. I love you."</p>
<p>Liv gave a harsh sob, curling away from him while simultaneously pressing closer. "Please… don't talk. Don't. Please. I can't…"</p>
<p>"Okay," Godric agreed with a heavy heart and breathed a kiss into her hair. He hesitated a moment, torn between wanting to respect Liv's wishes and not knowing how rigidly she wanted him to adhere to them. But he was very aware of the shivers and tremors that still shook Liv's body, how light and fragile she was in his arms, and knew that her legs would give out before long.</p>
<p>He softly cleared his throat, wincing mentally when he felt Liv stiffen. "Maybe we could sit down?"</p>
<p>Liv huffed out a shaky breath and nodded, meeting his eyes for the briefest second before she ducked her head down again. Godric suppressed his own sigh, instead carefully leading Liv over to the bed and tucking her under the covers before he slipped into bed as well and enfolded her in his gentle embrace. He wished there was something he could say, that he knew the words that would comfort Liv instead of upsetting her further. He wished he knew what was wrong.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Liv whispered, still refusing to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry I blocked you. I just…"</p>
<p>Godric pressed a kiss into her hair and just held her tighter. Liv's tears ran dry, eventually, but he could still feel the tension in her body as she lay small and miserable in his arms. It was second nature to Godric to treat humans, and especially Liv, with all due care and caution, but she had never seemed as breakable to him as in that moment, as if even the lightest touch, the softest word might shatter her completely. She had turned her back towards him, her knees drawn up against her chest and her arms wrapped tight around herself. Godric didn't know how to reach her, so he just lightly caressed his fingers against her arm and kept his silence.</p>
<p>He watched over her, guarded her as she fell into an uneasy sleep, and tried to figure out if he had missed something, some hint at what might be causing Liv so much distress. But up until last night she had seemed happy to him, a little tired perhaps, but that was hardly surprising given how much she tried to fit into her days, not just her job, but also time spent with her friends and family and above all Godric. Sometimes, it made him feel a little guilty how much of her life she had subordinated to his needs and the limitations of his existence, how often she would stay up late just to keep him company. But Liv didn't see it as a sacrifice, kissing his worries away and always finding the right words to reassure him. What he would give to borrow that talent from her, if only for one day. He sighed soundlessly and closed his eyes for a few moments, wishing fervently that whatever demons Liv was wrestling with would just come to life so that he could kill them for her.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>"What's wrong?" Eric demanded, his eyes snapping open as he sat up and focused on Godric and Liv. "Is she hurt? Has something happened?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," Godric admitted, giving Eric a sign to quieten his voice even as he felt his worry exponentiate, multiplied by Eric's feelings, by the continuous feedback loop of their bond. "She wouldn't tell me. She said that I would be upset and that she wanted to wait till you were awake."</p>
<p>"I'm awake now," Eric remarked, but Godric softly shook his head. "Let her sleep a little while longer. She didn't get much rest today. Maybe it will help her feel better."</p>
<p>"But she was fine last night," Eric protested. "Wasn't she? Did she say anything? Have you checked in with her aunts?"</p>
<p>Godric gave a light shrug in answer to Eric's first question before he answered his second and third, "She didn't want to talk, but she said that her aunts were okay."</p>
<p>"I'll call them," Eric declared, quickly and smoothly getting out of bed and wordlessly fishing his phone from the floor. Under normal circumstances, Godric would have almost certainly gotten a lecture on the proper handling of electronics, and Eric's electronics in particular. But these weren't normal circumstances.</p>
<p>Iris was the one to answer the phone and Godric listened with half an ear to their brief conversation. Brief, because neither of them had any substantial information to share. Eric ended the call only a few minutes later with an apologetic remark that he hadn't meant to worry them and a promise to have Liv call her aunts as soon as possible. He started pacing.</p>
<p>Godric could feel Eric's mounting frustration, the dark pit of worry underneath, a mirror to his own. "Eric, please."</p>
<p>Eric huffed out a sigh and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking down at both of them. "Do you think she saw something, that someone touched her and she had a vision?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," Godric murmured, studying Liv's pale face, the small crinkle between her dark eyebrows that hadn't smoothed even in sleep. "I don't know, Eric, but I don't think so. She's been handling her visions all her life."</p>
<p>She had probably seen more than her fair share of horrors and he knew that it wasn't easy for her, that they scraped across her soul and gave her nightmares for days afterwards, invoked in her pain and fear and sadness, pity and even anger, a wealth of negative emotions. But she'd always allowed him to comfort and support her to the best of his limited abilities. He couldn't imagine that anything in a vision would make her shy away from him.</p>
<p>Eric had taken out his phone again, his fingers flying over the device in an inexplicable dance. "I can't see anything unusual in her movements today. She left in the morning for work, went to Dr. Ludwig's… and then came back here."</p>
<p>"She was home earlier than usual," Godric admitted, not bothering to ask how Eric had gotten that information.</p>
<p>"Maybe the doctor knows something," Eric suggested, already dialing a number on his phone and bringing it to his ear.</p>
<p>Godric didn't try to stop him, knowing that Eric needed to feel like he was doing something, even if it promised little success.</p>
<p>Dr. Ludwig answered the phone with a short, unfriendly "yes", grunted at Eric's greeting and then asked, "Is this about Liv?"</p>
<p>"Yes, she's -"</p>
<p>"Is she in need of immediate medical attention?" the dwarf woman cut him off, snorting when Eric declined. "Then talk to her and stop bothering me."</p>
<p>The call was disconnected and Eric started pacing again. "She knows something."</p>
<p>"She won't tell us," Godric gave back calmly. "You know how seriously they both take their confidentiality."</p>
<p>Eric waved his objection away with a harsh hand gesture, his stance softening only when his gaze landed back on Liv. "We're supposed to keep her safe."</p>
<p>"Liv would argue that she can keep herself safe," Godric replied with a fleeting touch of humor, adjusting his hold on her when she shifted slightly.</p>
<p>"There's a piece of paper in her back pocket," Eric observed, huffing in frustration when Godric communicated his disapproval.</p>
<p>"Leave it be. She'll tell us when she wakes up."</p>
<p>"I hate waiting," Eric groused, even though they both knew it wasn't the waiting that was bothering him. Still, he sat back down on the bed, careful not to jostle Liv, and joined Godric in watching over her.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>A short while later, Liv's breathing changed from the deep slow inhalations of sleep to the quicker rhythm of wakefulness as she shifted in Godric's arms and blinked her eyes open. He smiled at her, in part to reassure her and in part because despite his worry over her he was still so very glad to have her in his life, to be blessed with the wonder of her love.</p>
<p>Liv smiled sleepily in return, only for the briefest of moments, but it was enough to reassure him that whatever was troubling her so could not shake the solid foundations of their love. Then, Liv's delicate features scrunched up and she lurched away from him, groaned pitifully when she found Eric on her other side and rolled herself up to the foot of the bed, one hand pressed tightly over her mouth.</p>
<p>Godric reacted quickly, helping her to untangle herself from the blankets that had twisted like snakes around her ankles, nudging Eric aside when he made to step into Liv's way, holding the bathroom door open for her and making a quick detour back to the bed to get one of the pillows, placing it down on the cold tiles and lifting the toilet lid as Liv dropped down in front of it and bent over the porcelain bowl. He gently gathered the soft locks of her hair away from her face and rubbed small, light circles into her back, hoping they might help to ease her nausea and the painful heaves that battered her body.</p>
<p>"Sorry," Liv finally mumbled, accepting the washcloth Godric handed to her to wipe her mouth.</p>
<p>Godric lightly shook his head. "Are you feeling better, cridiíon imon?"</p>
<p>"I'm not feeling worse," Liv whispered, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against her hands that were still clutching the toilet seat.</p>
<p>"Maybe it would help settle your stomach if you confided your worries in us," Eric suggested, touching Liv's fragile shoulder with a gentle hand and offering her a glass of water.</p>
<p>Liv sighed, her hand shaking slightly as she accepted the water from Eric and took a careful sip. "I know. Just give me a minute to brush my teeth, please."</p>
<p>"Of course," Godric agreed, breathing a light kiss into her hair. "We'll be right outside if you need anything."</p>
<p>Liv gave a small nod of acknowledgment and allowed Godric to help her to her feet. He took another moment to settle her bathrobe around her shoulders, knowing that she often felt cold in times of stress, but then forced himself not to linger any longer, also nudging Eric out of the bathroom.</p>
<p>He sat down on the sofa, folded his hands and settled in to wait while Eric started to pace again, casting quick, frequent looks at the closed bathroom door. It was just a fleeting impression at first, as if she had cracked open the door that had been shut between Godric and her emotions, but then immediately slammed it closed again. Worry. Godric pressed the tips of his fingers against his knuckles and tried to be patient, tried to see the positive when he received another trickle of emotion – fear – before the causeway broke and a crashing wave of worry, fear, pain, confusion and finally love and resolve washed over him. He straightened, meeting Liv at the door when she emerged from the bathroom.</p>
<p>"Thank you for opening our connection again," he murmured with a grateful smile.</p>
<p>Liv huffed out a slow breath, shaking her head. "I'm sorry for blocking you. I don't do it on purpose. It just happens sometimes."</p>
<p>"I know. You don't have to apologize," Godric assured her, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her to the sofa.</p>
<p>"Has the sun set by now?"</p>
<p>"Not yet," Godric replied softly. "Do you need something from upstairs?"</p>
<p>Liv shook her head. "Will you promise us to stay downstairs where it's safe for you, even if you get upset or angry?"</p>
<p>Godric felt a by now familiar pang of guilt at the reminder of how much his suicide attempt had affected Liv, how much it was still affecting her even now. "Of course, I promise."</p>
<p>Liv reached for his hands and gave his fingers a light squeeze before she pulled back again, reaching behind her to fiddle the piece of paper Eric had noticed earlier out of her back pocket. She inhaled shakily as she unfolded the paper with trembling hands and offered it to Godric.</p>
<p>"I asked Patricia to give me a checkup. These are the results from my blood test," she said, twisting her hands together to contain their shaking.</p>
<p>Godric took a quick look at the sheet of paper, seeing columns filled with incomprehensible abbreviations and random numbers. There was a circle drawn around one of the results, a big, bold exclamation point next to it, but none of it made any sense to him. He exchanged a brief, questioning look with Eric, who had stepped around to peer over his shoulder, before he turned his focus back on Liv, softly clearing his throat to get her attention, "I'm afraid we don't know what hCG means, Liv."</p>
<p>Liv pulled in a shaky a breath again, curled her fingers against her palms. "It's a hormone – human chorionic gonadotropin." She looked up with a plea in her clear blue eyes, her voice so soft that it barely moved the air. "It means I'm pregnant."</p>
<p>Godric felt a rush of emotions, an avalanche of feelings not his own, so strong and overwhelming that his own feelings turned into mere background noise.</p>
<p>"Is the baby okay?" he asked, trying to clear up at least some of this confusion, but before he could get an answer, before he could even start to make sense of Liv's wide-eyed gaze, Eric lashed out, his voice dripping poison. "Bravo." He clapped his hands in a clear mockery of applause. "I admit you had me fooled with your little virginity and virtue act, but of course that must have become boring after a while. I just hope you don't expect us to believe in an immaculate conception story. I'm afraid you fucked that up, sweetheart."</p>
<p>Liv flinched, shrinking away from Eric as if she expected his harsh words to be followed by a physical attack, her worry morphing into full-blown panic again, her breathing becoming shallow and labored and her heart pounding away at a frightening rhythm.</p>
<p>Godric swiftly got up, moving in front of Liv and forcing Eric to take a step back. "Eric, be silent! Liv has never been anything but loyal and honest, and you know how challenging and downright painful any physical contact still is for her so I fail to see how you could even insinuate something like that. And I don't care. I will not tolerate such nonsense and you will not talk to Liv that way. I expect you to apologize."</p>
<p>He only had a fraction of a second to note the small glimmer of hope from Liv before Eric's mix of emotions shifted abruptly from boiling rage to cold, hard horror as his tall progeny slipped around him and knelt down in front of Liv.</p>
<p>"Liv… did something happen to you? Did someone… touch you, like that?" he asked and Godric could tell that he was struggling for a soft, soothing tone, a reassuring, non-threatening demeanor after his harsh first reaction. The implication was still there, though, and for a moment Godric's mind turned into a maelstrom of rage and anger, bloodlust and murderous thirst for revenge, before reason reasserted itself.</p>
<p>Liv shook her head, a gesture of helplessness rather than clear denial. "I don't know. I don't think so, but…" She looked from Eric to Godric, a silent plea in her wide eyes. "I didn't cheat on you. I wouldn't hurt you like that."</p>
<p>"Shh, cridiíon imon," Godric murmured, dropping to his knees next to Eric and giving Liv his softest, most loving smile as he gently and carefully placed his hand on her still flat belly. "I know that, I promise I know. And I know that the baby is mine. It's mine, Liv."</p>
<p>He felt Liv's continued worry and anxiety, the tension in her body that only ramped up at his words, and heard Eric's almost-voiced thoughts that symbolic gestures of support and noble impulses aside they still needed to find and punish the one responsible, the man who had dared to defile Liv. He sighed, reaching out to Liv again and tugging the sleeves of her sweater down so that he could take her hands.</p>
<p>"I don't mean that figuratively or to say that I would be honored to accept any child of yours as my own, although that, too, would be true," he offered, lightly squeezing her slender fingers. "I mean that this child is mine, truly and actually mine. I'm the father."</p>
<p>He shook his head when Eric made to protest, held Liv's hands a little tighter when he felt the new direction of her worries. "I haven't lost my mind, Eric, and I know how it sounds. But I also know that it's the truth."</p>
<p>"But Godric, you're… How could that be?" Liv asked with her usual sense of tact, a small tremor in her voice, even as she clutched to his hands as if she could keep him with her by sheer force of will. She probably could, Godric thought with untimely amusement.</p>
<p>"I know that it should be impossible," he agreed solemnly. "But I feel the bonds of blood that tie me to the little life you carry within you. I could no more deny them than I could deny my bonds with Eric. Please, Liv, please, can you grant me an advance of your trust and let me try to explain?"</p>
<p>He waited for Liv's nod, breathing in the sweet, flowery scent of her hair as he struggled to find the right words to explain something he barely understood himself. "I don't know if it's an effect of your blood or just how you've changed me, but I never feel more alive than when I'm with you."</p>
<p>"Godric, that's very touching, but it doesn't mean -" Eric started up, but Godric silenced him with a slightly raised hand. "I felt my heartbeat."</p>
<p>"Your -" Eric cut off abruptly, his eyes widening in almost comical shock. "Godric…"</p>
<p>"Only ever once, and so faintly I wasn't sure at first," Godric said, lightly squeezing Liv's hands. "Only ever when I'm with you."</p>
<p>Liv's own heartbeat picked up in a stressful rhythm, her hands starting to shake in his grasp, and he held her a little tighter. He wished he had found a better way, a better time to drop this on her, that he had answers instead of just vague thoughts and unformed theories. That he had proof.</p>
<p>"Do you remember the journal Sophie-Anne gave to you, the one written by an Irish vampire about his banshee companion?" he asked, continuing when Liv gave a hesitant nod. "Do you remember the last sentence he wrote about his banshee?"</p>
<p>"'She makes me feel alive'," Liv murmured, looking up with a flicker of interest.</p>
<p>"That's how I translated it, but that's not what he wrote," Godric explained eagerly, shifting Liv into Eric's arms for a moment to get the journal from the shelf and leafing to the last page. "I thought it was a mere slip of the pen, that he'd just skipped a word. But here, 'Déanann sí mé beo', it doesn't mean, 'She makes me feel alive'; it means, 'She makes me alive'.</p>
<p>"Liv, that's how I feel when I'm with you. Alive. Human. And it's not just my heart starting to beat again. My hair has grown almost an inch since you came into my life, and look at my hands, look at my nails. They were all bitten down, do you remember?"</p>
<p>Liv nodded jerkily, reaching for his hand when he offered it to her and wonderingly tracing the thin white crescents of his still blunt fingernails. Eric grabbed his other hand, much less hesitant in his examination, and Godric might have found the contrast and the fact that he was managing to stump Eric so thoroughly amusing if his worry for Liv hadn't prevailed above all else. She still looked pale and shaken, an all too noticeable tremble in her slender body, in the soft touch of her hands.</p>
<p>He carefully squeezed her fingers before giving them free once more so as not to further Liv's distress by pushing her into a vision, and instead tucked one of her curls behind her ear, marveling as always at the feathery softness of her hair. Liv sighed, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment as she rested her forehead against his shoulder.</p>
<p>"I don't know what to think anymore. It's all tangled in knots and I feel sick and strangled and…"</p>
<p>"Shh, let's just take a few moments. Breathe, everything else can wait. I promise," Godric said, folding Liv more securely into his arms. "Breathe."</p>
<p>Liv pulled in a shuddering breath, slinging her arms around his neck as she buried against him, seeming to take some comfort at least from his gentle embrace and the hand Eric rested lightly between her shoulder blades in a silent show of support. They settled into a quiet vigil, listened to Liv's rapid heartbeat and her shaky breathing until both finally evened out.</p>
<p>"Okay," Liv said, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Godric's lips and giving him a weak smile. "I want you to be right, but…"</p>
<p>"It seems improbable," Eric offered quietly, with a brief apologetic look at Godric even as Liv nodded. "I understand that. It seems improbable to me as well, though I also find it improbable that Godric's fingernails should be longer now than in all the centuries we've spent together. I don't know what to make of that, either.</p>
<p>"And Godric is right about one thing at the very least: I should never have questioned your loyalty, little dove. I know you didn't cheat on Godric. Of course you didn't. I hope you can forgive me for my earlier words."</p>
<p>"I understand," Liv replied softly, some of the stress lifting from her shoulders at Eric's words. She briefly touched Eric's hand, breaking out into a fleeting but honest smile when he breathed a small kiss over her knuckles. "It would be the most obvious explanation."</p>
<p>"Not to me," Godric pushed back gently, carefully settling his hands on Liv's slim waist. "And I would sooner lift the world from its axis than to let anyone touch you like that, without your consent. I pray you know that, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>"I know," Liv assured him, her eyes still troubled. "But you're asleep during the day."</p>
<p>"I would not sleep through your distress," Godric protested, holding Liv a little tighter. "And I would certainly know if another man had touched you in such a manner or fathered this child."</p>
<p>"Perhaps we should take another approach," Eric offered thoughtfully. "Do you know when the baby was conceived?"</p>
<p>"January 5," Godric answered, even though Eric's question had been directed at Liv. He smiled at their surprise, at the spark of hope he could feel from Liv. "We had just come back from visiting the queen and Eric went to check on his club. You wanted to take a shower and you invited me to join you." Liv's cheeks rouged with a becoming blush, the memory of that night clearly coming back to her.</p>
<p>"We didn't do anything in the shower," she still pointed out in a whisper, glancing briefly at Eric as if hoping that he had somehow missed Godric's words.</p>
<p>"Oh, Liv, that means you were doing it wrong," Eric teased with a wide grin and a waggle of his eyebrows. "You know I'd be happy to give you two lovebirds a few pointers for your next soapy adventure."</p>
<p>"That won't be necessary, thank you." Liv rolled her eyes good-naturedly, and Godric sent Eric a silent thank you for adding a note of much needed levity to their conversation.</p>
<p>"You're right, cridiíon imon," he continued with a gentle smile. "I was too careless and I pushed you into a vision."</p>
<p>"That's not what happened," Liv protested immediately, reaching for his hand. "I slipped and you caught me before I could take an embarrassing and probably painful spill on the tiles."</p>
<p>Godric shrugged lightly, still feeling responsible even if Liv's version was factually correct. Liv squeezed his fingers tighter before she released his hand. "We still had a very nice evening, I think."</p>
<p>"I think so too," Godric agreed, quietly pleased. "It was such a beautiful, cloudless night, though a little too cold for you to go outside. So we spread the blankets from your bed out over the floor and looked up at the stars from there. Your hair was still a little damp from the shower, curling over your back in wild waves, and you were wearing your kimono bathrobe and the light blue brassiere I love, the one with the small lace applications along the top that makes your skin gleam like moonlight." He held out his hand to Liv, moving in for a soft kiss when Liv had made contact. "That's the night our baby was conceived."</p>
<p>"Does that fit with your timeline, Liv?" Eric asked, and Godric was impressed and grateful that he had limited himself to a mental roll of his eyes at what he considered unnecessary amounts of sweetness. "I remember you had your last period at the end of December."</p>
<p>Liv's cheeks tinted red, but she still nodded, caressing her hand over her stomach before dropping it away self-consciously. "I'm seven weeks along so it would fit… but how can you be so sure?"</p>
<p>"Your scent changed," Godric told her, smiling tenderly, leading Liv's hand back to her stomach and placing his own just above it. "I noticed it a day or two later, but I wasn't sure what it meant, didn't even think to hope… then I heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time and I knew. I just knew… This baby is mine, Liv, it's ours."</p>
<p>Liv huffed out a long breath, her heart thumping wildly in her chest, even as she entwined her fingers with Godric and smiled, a shy smile full of hope and love. Godric couldn't help but kiss her, all his joy und jubilation breaking to the fore as he pulled her close and lifted her up – carefully, of course - swirling her around until Liv's pale face was flushed with laughter, her eyes sparkling happily.</p>
<p>He then set her down again, dropping to his knees before her and smiling up at her, unable to find any words to describe his feelings, this overwhelming, all-encompassing sense of happiness, the likes of which he hadn't felt in an eternity.</p>
<p>Eric rested a hand on his shoulder, another just above Liv's knee. "It seems the miracles just keep on happening around you, don't they, Liv? I had almost gotten used to you preventing our deaths and saving us from our own stupidity, but this… you truly are full of surprises, little dove."</p>
<p>Liv gently and tenderly carded her fingers through Godric's hair. "I still have questions," she then warned and Godric grinned at her, darting up for a quick kiss as the warmth of her trust in him settled over him like a cozy blanket.</p>
<p>"As do I," Eric added, squeezing his shoulder.</p>
<p>"Have you also noticed any changes?" Liv wanted to know. "You probably had no less of my blood than Godric."</p>
<p>"I'm afraid my heart is still as cold and dead as ever," Eric gave back with a rakish grin.</p>
<p>"I don't believe that," Liv replied fondly, breathing a light kiss against Eric's cheek. "Not for a second."</p>
<p>Eric only grinned wider, his mask pulled tight over any deeper feelings, though as with Liv, Godric could still feel his skepticism. He knew that they had faith in him, was grateful that they trusted him even this far. But they didn't believe, not really, not yet. That was okay, though, because he had conviction enough for all three of them, his heart so full of hope and love that he could once again feel the shadow of a heartbeat, only in his imagination this time, but somehow no less meaningful. He was going to be a father.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Fantaisie-Impromptu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>2. Fantaisie-Impromptu – Op. 66 – Frédéric Chopin</strong>
</p>
<p>It still didn't seem real, a dream within a dream, the edges of her reality so washed out that she felt as if she was floating in a physical vacuum. The emotional rollercoaster of the last few hours had left her so tired that all her feelings now, though mostly positive, seemed muted and distant.</p>
<p>But Godric was glowing with happiness, smiling and laughing, overjoyed and pleased beyond measure, and that in itself was enough to give rise to a vague sort of contentment that didn't require - nor invite - a more in-depth analysis. She placed her hand lightly on her stomach and tried to make sense of everything, tried to feel with the same certainty and confidence as Godric that this child was theirs.</p>
<p>Godric wrapped his arms lightly around her, breathing a soft kiss into her hair, and steered her into one of the kitchen chairs. "You don't have to figure out all the answers right this very moment, Liv," he told her gently. "And you don't have to find them on your own… or on an empty stomach."</p>
<p>He grinned at her with all his boyish charm and then flitted away, starting to pull ingredients from the fridge. Liv felt slightly apprehensive just watching him, not sure if her stomach would be up for so much food. Godric, probably sensing her unease, turned back to her and placed a small stack of books on the table in front of her a moment later.</p>
<p>"Pick anything you'd like," he invited her, caressing his fingers over her shoulder. "I'll make you a tea in the meantime."</p>
<p>He disappeared again, filling the kettle with water but leaving it to Eric to switch it on while he readied a cup for her. Liv was still staring at the title of the uppermost book when he returned to her side, the cheery bright green letters seeming to dance in front of her eyes. <em>Cooking for Two, Eating for Two.</em></p>
<p>He rested a questioning hand on her shoulder. "Godric… how long have you known that I'm pregnant?"</p>
<p>Godric cocked his head at her, slipping into a chair beside her. "I only knew for certain when the baby's heart started beating, last Friday. That's when I bought these books."</p>
<p>"That's almost a week," Liv pointed out incredulously. "You've known for almost a week and you didn't tell me?"</p>
<p>Godric's brow furrowed and Liv sighed as she felt her anger slipping away even before Godric started to apologize. "I'm sorry, Liv, I know I should have told you. But it all seems so fragile still, so easily lost. I didn't want to burden you with knowledge that might only serve to cause you pain."</p>
<p>It took her a moment to make sense of what Godric had implied and another to notice the painful, laborious turn of her breathing, the choke hold of panic around her throat, the crushing weight of possibility that suddenly fell on her shoulders. Godric reacted much more quickly, catching her and settling her securely against his chest.</p>
<p>"Hush, cridiíon imon, please don't worry about that," Godric pleaded. "You know that I always worry too much and both you and the baby are perfectly fine, you said so yourself."</p>
<p>Liv mutely shook her head, pressing her hands against her chest and trying to catch her breath, even as all the statistical probabilities of a miscarriage rattled through her brain.</p>
<p>"Liv," Eric spoke up, resting his hand between her shoulder blades with gentle pressure. "You have to understand that our knowledge on pregnancy and childbirth might be rather out of date and certainly limited. I would bet that many of the risks and dangers Godric is imagining right now won't affect you at all - with all these modern amenities and reliable health care."</p>
<p>Godric agreed readily, his eyes dark and earnest with worry as she looked up at him, one of her hands clutched to her stomach as if she could keep the baby safe with such an ineffective method. "I don't want to disappoint you," she whispered, the thought of ruining Godric's happiness almost worse than the abstract possibility of losing a child she hardly believed in.</p>
<p>"You could never disappoint me, cridiíon imon," Godric insisted, pressing a gentle kiss into her hair. "You have given me so much already, more than I'm sure I deserve, and this… this is a miracle, but no more so than you. I will consider myself blessed as long as you're in my life."</p>
<p>"You can't promise that," Liv answered weakly, but leaned into the safety of Godric's embrace.</p>
<p>"Of course I can," Godric asserted with soft conviction, blowing a kiss against her lips. "I know that there're no guarantees, that sometimes bad things happen, and I worry, Liv, I will always worry, and I will always try to protect you to the best of my abilities - even if you don't need it. But you've given me back my faith, in you, in the world, in myself. So I know that we'll be all right."</p>
<p>"In other words, Godric worries enough for all of us so you can just lean back and relax," Eric interjected, sending her a carefree grin, twisting a lock of her hair around his fingers and giving it a light tug.</p>
<p>Liv laughed, batting away his hands, even as she felt herself do exactly that, lean back and relax for a few moments. "You still should have told me, Godric. It's not okay to keep something like this from me."</p>
<p>Godric nodded earnestly, giving her a chagrined look. "You're right. I'm sorry, Liv."</p>
<p>"To be fair you never seemed to like it when we made reference to any other aspects of your womanly cycle," Eric pointed out, just to be contrary she was sure, sending her an innocently quizzical look. "Does that mean those rules no longer apply?"</p>
<p>Liv rolled her eyes at him. "I think we can all agree that there's a difference between – rudely - telling me something I already know or at least know to expect and… this." She made a confused gesture with her hand, something to indicate the entire state of affairs, and Eric snorted, dancing away when she tried to swat at his arm.</p>
<p>"Oh, I think we'd better feed you if you're already resorting to violence to make your point," he teased with another grin, pushing the stack of books back in front of her and then ceding the field to Godric, who very diligently helped her to pick what to make for dinner and almost managed to mask his disappointment when Liv requested a simple soup. He cheered up immediately when Liv pulled him down for another kiss.</p>
<p>"You're the best," Liv declared, running her fingers gently through his hair and pressing another kiss to his temple. "Thank you. Do you mind if I take a quick shower?"</p>
<p>"Of course not," Godric replied with an understanding smile. "Take your time, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>Liv returned his smile before disappearing upstairs. She went to her room first to pick out a set of fresh clothes and then moved on to the bathroom, hoping that the warm, pounding water from the shower would help to wash away the stress and pain of the day and rid her of the icky, guilty feelings that still lingered.</p>
<p>When Patricia had called her into her office to discuss the results of her blood work and she had seen her hCG levels, her first thought hadn't been pregnancy. Nor even her second or third. She'd thought of GTD, germ cell tumors, cancer and a variety of other conditions that were marked by increased hcG levels. Patricia had tried to steer her towards a different conclusion with her own brand of gentleness, reminding her about the symptoms which had prompted her to request a checkup in the first place and finally suggested an ultrasound to confirm her suspicions.</p>
<p>And Liv had seen the embryo, heard the heartbeat and started to panic. Because there was something inside her, a foreign body, a parasite that shouldn't exist, couldn't exist. For long, shameful moments she had wished that it had been cancer instead. That would have been something she could explain to herself and to Godric. But not this. Never this. She had oscillated between flat-out denial, simple confusion and a revulsion so strong she had been afraid of herself.</p>
<p>Patricia had been kind to her, had allowed her to collect herself in the privacy of her office and had not pried her for answers, merely offering her support and then telling her to take the rest of the day off. It hadn't helped, but Liv still appreciated her boss's forbearance, at least in hindsight.</p>
<p>She didn't know when she had blocked Godric's unlimited access to the emotional minefield of her brain, but probably sometime during her drive back home when she had realized how much it might hurt Godric to learn about this. And that she had no explanation to offer to him.</p>
<p>She sighed and scrubbed down her arms and legs, finally tilting back her head to start to rinse the shampoo from her hair. Her hand caressed over her stomach as if it had a will of his own, welcoming and cherishing this child while she still struggled to accept Godric's truth as her own. The water couldn't wash away her feelings. And it didn't make her body feel like her own again, or this child like hers.</p>
<p>She pushed these thoughts away, turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, quickly toweling dry and wrapping her hair in a towel before getting dressed. She then loosened her improvised turban, brushed out her hair and twisted it into a loose braid, wandering back to her bedroom to get a barrette to pin it up. Her eyes fell on the picture frame above her nightstand, well-familiar words spelt out in Godric's perfect calligraphy, the love letter he had written to her to ask her permission to start his courtship of her. She breathed out slowly, carefully reaching out to lift the frame from its hanger, touching her fingers to what Godric had written, such a long, long time ago.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>…<em>I struggle for words to describe how beautiful and amazing you are to me, how I look at you and almost feel my heart jump in my chest and draw in a breath as if I actually needed to…</em></p>
</blockquote><p>Such a wondrous and incredible coincidence that he should have chosen those exact words, a prophecy just waiting to come true, Liv thought, carefully putting the frame back on the wall and resting her hand once more on her stomach, for the first time trying to reach out to the little life inside of her. Not in anger, but in curiosity. And it didn't feel evil, after all.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Downstairs, the kitchen was filled with the heavenly smells of Godric's cooking. He had already set the table for her, the sleek glass plate covered with a crisp white table cloth and fresh flowers sitting in a filigree vase in the middle of the table, and welcomed her with a smile and a careful embrace, pulling out a chair for her and gesturing to the basket of fresh rolls he must have just pulled out of the oven.</p>
<p>"The soup will be ready in a moment, but I thought you might like a little bread to start with. Would you like something to drink?"</p>
<p>Liv smiled. "I still have some tea, thank you."</p>
<p>"I'll warm it up for you," Eric offered, putting her cup in the microwave for half a minute before returning to his seat next to her, focusing his attention back on the screen of his laptop.</p>
<p>"Thank you. What are you working on?" Liv asked, reaching for one of the rolls and starting to tear it into little pieces.</p>
<p>"Eliminating the impossible," Eric gave back absently, typing quickly.</p>
<p>Liv furrowed her brow, craning her neck and peering curiously over Eric's shoulder. She got up abruptly when she understood what she was seeing, making to step around Eric and get some distance between them.</p>
<p>Eric shot out his arm and wrapped it around her waist, lightly pulling her against his side. "Liv."</p>
<p>Liv shook her head, huffing out a breath. "I've had my fill of drama for one day. I don't have any energy left to be angry at you."</p>
<p>"But you're angry," Eric commented, a statement rather than a question. "Just talk to me. Are you upset because I put a tracker on your phone or is there something else?"</p>
<p>Liv shook her head again, slipping out of Eric's half-embrace and gratefully leaning against Godric instead. "It's great that you're so protective of Godric – it's one of the things I love the most about you. But you said you trusted me."</p>
<p>"Liv, I'm not looking for signs of your infidelity," Eric corrected her.</p>
<p>"He wants to make sure that no-one hurt you," Godric added, tracing his hand soothingly over the arch of her spine.</p>
<p>"I don't mean to ruin your happiness, but before I start believing in miracles I want to cover my bases."</p>
<p>"Eliminate the impossible... Whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," Liv murmured. "You read Sherlock Holmes?"</p>
<p>"Of course." Eric grinned happily at her. "Who doesn't like a bit of sleuthing?"</p>
<p>Godric skirted his fingers along her side, posing a question without words, and Liv nodded lightly and released him back to his cooking before sinking down into her chair again.</p>
<p>"I'm still upset about the tracker," she informed Eric, though her anger had all but dissipated. "And I don't understand what you're even looking for."</p>
<p>Eric shrugged. "I'm just looking at the timeframe you mentioned to see if I can spot any abnormalities in your movements."</p>
<p>"Well, you can disregard the days we spent in New Orleans," Liv replied, rolling her eyes when Eric gave her a wide-eyed look of confusion. "Oh, please, as if I didn't know that you asked Rupert and Daniel to keep an eye on me during the day. And both of you stuck to me like glue during nighttime, so I think we can be very sure that nothing happened to me there."</p>
<p>Eric nudged her cup of tea back into her hands. "So I'm only looking at the week or so after we came back."</p>
<p>"Then you're also looking at where Patricia and I visited patients," Liv protested. "Eric, I'm used to not having any privacy around you guys, but my patients still have a right to theirs."</p>
<p>"Would it help if I promised to abstain from any mischief regarding your patients?" Eric offered, sighing at her unimpressed look. "Fine. You can look at the data for yourself."</p>
<p>"And you'll delete the tracking app from my phone," Liv demanded.</p>
<p>"It might still be useful," Eric hedged, but then sighed again when Godric returned to the table, placing a plate of steaming soup down in front of Liv, smiling at her and lightly patting Eric's shoulder as he moved around him to take the seat opposite of Liv.</p>
<p>Godric's legs caught hers underneath the table. "Bon appétit, cridiíon imon. I hope you'll like it."</p>
<p>Liv answered with a smile, bringing the first spoonful up to her lips to blow on it. The soup smelled fantastic and Godric had even cut the vegetables into shapes - little hearts and stars and moons, such a sweet, loving gesture that the soup tasted twice as good.</p>
<p>The two vampires seemed content to watch her eat, though about halfway through her soup Liv noticed that Eric had started typing again and shot him a warning look. "Eric."</p>
<p>In response Eric turned the laptop around so that she could see the screen and the online article he had clicked on.</p>
<p>"I don't have mood swings!" Liv protested, sending Eric an affronted look.</p>
<p>"Ah, not yet," Eric proclaimed with an easy grin. "But you're usually all sugar and sweetness and when that swings in the other direction, I want to be prepared."</p>
<p>"I think not teasing Liv might be a good way to go," Godric suggested mildly. "Though, I understand it might be difficult for you. It's how he shows his affection."</p>
<p>He smiled and winked at Liv, looking very pleased with himself when she broke into a laugh.</p>
<p>"Only because you never invite me to show my affections in other ways," Eric shot back, with an exaggerated leer and a waggle of his eyebrows to leave no doubt about his meaning.</p>
<p>"I'm always free for hugs," Liv offered, laughing again when Eric wrapped his arms around her a moment later. "You're just a big, old softie, aren't you?"</p>
<p>"That's slander," Eric accused her fondly before blowing in her ear and eliciting a squeak from her. "Finish your dinner, Liv."</p>
<p>Liv rolled her eyes at him, but then turned back to her soup to enjoy the last few spoonfuls of her meal. Godric offered to fill another plate for her of course, tried to entice her with dessert, but she still felt a little queasy and decided to wait and see if she could keep the soup down before trying anything else.</p>
<p>"Have you been sick often?" Godric asked with a worried furrow between his eyebrows, gently caressing along her arm. "Why did you ask Dr. Ludwig for a checkup?"</p>
<p>"I've been meaning to get one for a while," Liv admitted with a soft sigh, absently reaching out to once more trace the thin white crescents of Godric's fingernails. "I've always felt kind of hypocritical when I told my patients that they should come in for regular checkups and do all the preventive screenings and examinations when I never did."</p>
<p>"You had a very good reason for that," Godric reminded her, curling his fingers around hers and encouraging her with a smile.</p>
<p>Liv sighed before focusing back on Godric's actual question. "I had a few dizzy spells and I skipped breakfast a few times – I still love your cooking, I promise – but sometimes, particularly in the mornings, the thought of any food turns my stomach."</p>
<p>"I should have noticed," Godric replied with an apologetic note in his voice. "Are there any foods in particular that don't agree with you at the moment?"</p>
<p>"You packed me an egg-salad sandwich for lunch once," Liv offered, wincing guiltily as she continued, "I had to throw it out of the car window and ask Patricia to pull over."</p>
<p>Godric hummed sympathetically while Eric snorted out a laugh. "I never understood why Godric thought you'd like that anyway. And if you're taking suggestions I have some thoughts on what else we could throw out…"</p>
<p>"Like your aftershave?" Liv asked hesitantly.</p>
<p>"You mean the aftershave you spilled last week and which according to Pam is currently out of stock?" Eric asked with an arched eyebrow.</p>
<p>"I only spilled a little," Liv murmured defensively. "And I didn't ask Pam to lie."</p>
<p>"You don't have to ask - she'll do it for her own pleasure," Eric replied with undeniable pride for the deviousness of his progeny. "What did you do with the rest of the bottle?"</p>
<p>"I threw it out," Godric offered simply before she could do more than shrug. "Liv told us she didn't like it."</p>
<p>He said it in a tone of voice as if this was the only reasonable course of action, something so self-evident and matter-of-course that he hadn't thought it warranted any discussion. Liv broke out into a smile, wrapping her hands in Godric's and leaning over the table to press a kiss against his lips. Godric returned her smile and her kiss, seeming pleased though slightly bemused that she thought his actions worthy of her gratitude. Liv found it all indescribably endearing of him and moved around the table so that they could be closer, so that she could wrap her arms around Godric and whisper a thank you in his ear.</p>
<p>She then looked up at Eric, still feeling slightly guilty. "I'm sorry, Eric. I'll buy you a new one."</p>
<p>The tall vampire waved his hand negligently. "Don't worry about it. It's not like I use it often…" He trailed off, froze into sudden, absolute stillness before unfreezing just as suddenly and reaching up to run his fingers along his jaw. His voice was low and pensive, almost halting as if each word weighed a ton. "I shave every four or five days. I haven't had to change that in almost a century. But when I went to find you at Sophie-Anne's apartment, I noticed a bit of stubble and…"</p>
<p>"You shaved the day after we had ended Russell's existence," Godric finished for him, softly. "Two days before you went to bring Liv back. One day after you had her blood."</p>
<p>Eric nodded, staring at Liv with a look of wonder on his handsome face. "Your blood… it was like drinking from the Fountain of Youth, a supercharge of energy, of life, but I never… it didn't seem like anything more."</p>
<p>"Why does it have to be more?" Godric said, tracing his fingers gently up and down her spine. "Why do we need to look for an explanation, a neat concatenation of cause and effect, when we can just be happy at this blessing?"</p>
<p>He looked from Eric to Liv and she could only imagine that her own expression must have mirrored the stark skepticism that was written all over Eric's face. Godric chuckled, rising to his feet to blow a teasing kiss against her lips. "At least that's how I feel."</p>
<p>"I need something concrete, Godric. I know there might not be any perfect answers, but…" Liv looked pleadingly up at him. "Something a little more verifiable than faith and feelings would be nice."</p>
<p>Godric laughed and gave her an encouraging nod. "I'm sure we can manage that. Maybe you could run some tests? I'm more than happy to let you prod and poke me, in the name of science and your peace of mind."</p>
<p>He grinned at her and she couldn't help but smile back, relieved beyond measure that Godric understood her, even when she didn't dare to put her feelings into words.</p>
<p>"Maybe we could try to measure your heartbeat? And your body temperature?" Liv half-asked and Godric nodded readily, caressing along her fingers when she reached for him. "And I'd like to run some blood tests, if that's okay, even if I know that the results might not by diagnostically conclusive."</p>
<p>"I think you should also do a semen analysis," Eric suggested, with a completely straight face, but then broke out into a smirk as he added, "I'll be happy to provide you with a reference sample."</p>
<p>"That's actually a good idea," Liv told him seriously, resisting the urge to poke her tongue out at him. Eric could tease her all he wanted, but she was finally starting to feel some confidence again, if not in herself than at least in the scientific method. "I'll ask Patricia if I can borrow some equipment. Or would you like to come with me? We could do another ultrasound."</p>
<p>Godric perked up visibly at her words and agreed immediately, still politely but with barely contained eagerness. And Eric also seemed to have to struggle to contain his impatience, trying to shepherd her directly to his car before Godric reminded him that Liv might want to dry her hair first. Honestly, she found it rather touching, to think that after a combined lifespan of more than three thousand years, they could still get excited like this.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Violin Sonata No. 17 in C</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>3. Violin Sonata No. 17 in C – K. 296 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart</strong>
</p>
<p>Godric watched with interest as she placed the electrodes on his bare chest and Liv had to resist the urge to bat his hands away when he started to fiddle with the leads and then reached out for the main device.</p>
<p>"Which button was it again?" he asked and Liv heard Eric expel a very forceful breath behind them.</p>
<p>"No button," Liv explained patiently, still rather endeared by Godric's cluelessness, though not as much as the first few times he had asked. "You don't have to do anything. This machine will monitor your heart and record any activity. Do you see this line here?" She pointed to the continuous flatline on the screen. "If your heart gives a beat, we will see an uptick here. You don't have to do anything."</p>
<p>"Oh," Godric said, dropping his hand and giving her an apologetic look. "Sorry. I'll try to remember it this time."</p>
<p>"Don't worry about it. I know this is strange for you." Liv smiled at him and pecked his lips before fitting the last electrode over his ribs. "There, done."</p>
<p>"So we'll do the ultrasound now?" Eric asked, expectantly settling down on one of the chairs when she nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>"Do we need to wait for Dr. Ludwig?" Godric asked.</p>
<p>Liv shook her head, allowing Godric to help her onto the padded examination table. "I asked Patricia if this is okay. We did a quick one earlier, but…"</p>
<p>Seeing the ultrasound image of the little intruder in her belly had only upset her more and Patricia had been quick to switch off the machine, telling her that they could do a full examination when she had calmed down. It had certainly been the right call and Liv was glad that Patricia trusted her enough and had enough faith in her medical training to let her do the second ultrasound without her supervision, the only condition being that Liv would record the results and discuss them with her later.</p>
<p>"Would you hand me the gel, please?" she said to Eric, rolling her sweater and shirt up before squirting a generous dollop of gel onto her belly. "You might be able to hear the machine when I switch it on," she warned and put the scanner onto the lowest setting before flipping the switch.</p>
<p>Both vampires winced simultaneously. "Sorry. Do you need me to turn it off?"</p>
<p>Eric caught her arm before she could reach for the scanner again, shaking his head. "It's fine, Liv. It just surprised us. Show us the baby."</p>
<p>Godric also nodded, lightly resting his hand on her shoulder and giving her a hopeful smile before he turned to look expectantly at the screen. Liv reached for the transducer and gently placed it against her abdomen, carefully moving it around until she found the dark oval of the gestational sack and the pixelated, small white form of her baby.</p>
<p>Godric's gasped and his hand tightened on her shoulder as he leaned forward to look at the screen and the small flickering of the baby's heartbeat. But Liv jerked her head in the other direction as the electrocardiograph emitted a single shrill beep and the monitor showed a sudden sharp deflection.</p>
<p>"Your heart…" Liv whispered and Godric turned to beam at her, his eyes red-rimmed with bloody tears.</p>
<p>"We're having a baby, Liv," Godric replied huskily, catching her easily when she threw herself into his arms.</p>
<p>She was laughing and crying, both at the same time, in tandem with Godric, who just held her tighter and whispered endearments in her ear, told her how much he loved her, and this child, how inexpressibly happy he was to be blessed with such a miracle.</p>
<p>"We're having a baby," Liv finally agreed, dashing the tears from her cheeks and beaming at Godric.</p>
<p>Godric beamed right back, leaning in to request a kiss and brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear with reverent tenderness. "I always said you were my heart, Liv, but I never knew how true it was until now."</p>
<p>He tapped the rhythm of her heartbeat against her chest, and she reached out to return the gesture, two hearts, three hearts, beating in unison. Godric smiled brilliantly in response and pulled her in for a deep kiss, full of love and tenderness. It didn't solve everything of course. There were still issues and even more questions that they would have to address in due time, but for now, Liv could only feel relief. Relief that she had at least some proof of Godric's incredible claims; relief that she could believe him now and start to trust in herself again; relief that, however miraculous and seemingly impossible, this was real.</p>
<p>They stood there, grinning at each other like fools, until Eric loudly cleared his throat, stepped up next to them and dangled two tissues in front of their faces. "No mood swings, huh?"</p>
<p>Liv laughed and accepted the tissue to wipe her cheeks, leaning comfortably against Eric's side as Godric did the same, the two vampires drifting together as they were wont to do, without even seeming to notice. It made her smile a little wider.</p>
<p>"Did you hear Godric's heartbeat as well?"</p>
<p>"It might be too ambitious to call it a heartbeat, but yes," Eric replied with a shrug, appearing a little too studiously indifferent to be entirely convincing. "The good doctor is on her way in. We need to decide how much we're going to tell her."</p>
<p>Liv startled at the abrupt change of subject, then cast them a pleading look. "I don't want to lie to her. She won't be able to give me proper medical care if she only knows half the story."</p>
<p>"It's a risk, Liv, one we should weigh very carefully," Eric warned. "You have no idea how valuable this information would be, to what lengths others might go to to get their hands on you, your blood and this child."</p>
<p>Liv took a deep breath, feeling both Godric and Eric wrap their arms around her. "I understand that, but Patricia already knows I'm pregnant and that I wasn't expecting it. And I trust her. She'll be suspicious if I try to keep this from her and that will be much more dangerous than having her on our side."</p>
<p>Liv wanted to say more, but just then Patricia pushed into the room after only the most perfunctory of knocks, arching her eyebrows ever higher when she found all three of them huddled next to the examination bench and Godric still fitted in at least half of the electrodes from the ECG machine.</p>
<p>"Is there a good reason for this or do I really have to admonish you for playing doctor in my treatment rooms?" she asked acerbically, dropping her bag down next to her desk before swinging herself up into her large black office chair.</p>
<p>"Sorry," Liv said softly and started to free Godric from the rest of the electrodes, halting when Godric gently wrapped his hand around her forearm.</p>
<p>He softly cleared his throat. "Dr. Ludwig, if you would be willing to spare us a few moments of your time, I will be happy to explain, as best I can."</p>
<p>Patricia made a half-impatient, half-encouraging gesture with her hand, and Godric started to speak without hesitation, summing up in a few brief sentences why they had tried to monitor his cardiac activity, what other changes he had noticed in himself and how he was convinced that he was this child's biological father. He was calm and succinct, answering readily when Patricia asked for clarification on some points and not leaving anything out.</p>
<p>Liv was surprised, but grateful and relieved that the two vampires had decided to confide in Patricia despite their reservations. Eric gave her a minute shrug and the hint of a smile when she looked to him, as if to say that this might not have been his choice, but that he was willing to follow Godric's judgement. In this, as in everything else.</p>
<p>"Fascinating," Patricia commented in her usual dry tone. "We'll have to keep an eye on that. I see you've already started some tests?"</p>
<p>The last question was directed at Liv so she nodded and told her boss about the blood and semen samples Eric and Godric had donated and the tests she was planning to run. Patricia nodded once in approval, but then gave Liv a truly unimpressed look when she admitted that they hadn't finished the ultrasound examination yet, and had in fact barely gotten started.</p>
<p>"This is not something to be shrugged off – especially under these unusual circumstances," Patricia admonished her.</p>
<p>"Please accept my apologies for that," Godric interjected, placing a supportive hand between Liv's shoulder blades. "As I explained, Liv had to pause the examination when this machine recorded my heartbeat."</p>
<p>"Hrmpf," Patricia commented before sliding from her chair and imperiously directing Liv to lay back down on the examination table. She almost elbowed Eric aside when he moved to reclaim his previous spot and Liv had to bite back a laugh at the look of incredulity that flashed briefly over the tall vampire's handsome face.</p>
<p>Instead she held out her hand to Eric, wordlessly calling him to her other side, next to Godric, who had positioned himself on her left.</p>
<p>She rolled up her sweater and shirt again and turned to Patricia, who had already slipped on a pair of medical gloves and switched the scanner back on again and was fiddling with the calibrations. "Thank you, Patricia. I'm not sure I could have done the examination by myself, in any case, adjusting the scanner as needed while lying as still as possible."</p>
<p>"It would have been difficult," Patricia admitted with a slight softening of the lines around her lips, patting her shoulder once before she reached for the tube of gel to squirt another dollop onto her stomach.</p>
<p>Both vampires shifted forwards when the image of the baby appeared on the screen again, and Liv entwined her fingers with Godric's and drank in his beaming smile for a moment before she too focused on the black-and-white video of the little miracle growing inside of her.</p>
<p>"Strong heartbeat," Patricia murmured, but offered little else, leaving it to Liv to explain what they were seeing and what Patricia was doing.</p>
<p>"That's to measure the baby's size," Liv murmured softly, when two small green crosses appeared on the screen. "Knowing how big the baby is will help us determine his or her age and thus how long I've been pregnant and when the baby is due."</p>
<p>"10 millimeters," Patricia said, scribbling down a note on her chart.</p>
<p>"That's good," Liv reassured Godric and Eric when they both looked expectantly to her. "And it fits our timeline and the date of conception."</p>
<p>"January 5, was it?" Patricia demanded, making another note when Godric nodded. "That means the due date will be around the end of September - if the pregnancy progresses at a normal human pace."</p>
<p>"Do you see any indications that it might not?" Eric asked, giving Liv's knee a preventative, reassuring squeeze.</p>
<p>"Mr. Northman, if your only contributions are going to be redundant questions, I'd rather suggest you wait outside," Patricia retorted.</p>
<p>"I believe Eric was asking about something besides the baby's parentage," Liv interjected calmly, by now so used to smoothing away the sting of Patricia's rather harsh bedside manner that it came easily. She smiled up at Eric and brushed her fingers lightly against his. "And I want them both here."</p>
<p>"It's your decision," Patricia said, unconvinced, before she continued, "For now, your symptoms and test results are all within the standard parameters of a human pregnancy so we'll take that as reference. We'll have to keep a close eye on you, of course."</p>
<p>"I think Godric and Eric have that covered," Liv said, smiling at her two vampires.</p>
<p>"Is there anything in particular we should look out for?" Godric asked, helping her to sit up as Patricia finished with the ultrasound.</p>
<p>"I'll give you a list," the doctor said, then cast them all a considering look. "And recommend some reading materials."</p>
<p>"Thank you, we would appreciate that," Godric replied, pressing a soft kiss into Liv's hair. "And you will tell us if you need anything, if there's anything that concerns you, won't you, cridiíon imon?"</p>
<p>"I promise," Liv murmured, breathing a small kiss against Godric's lips before accepting another tissue from Eric to wipe off her stomach. She smiled at the tall vampire and then turned towards Patricia again, noting the strained line around her mouth and knowing that her back must be bothering her after a long day of work. "Why don't you let me finish up in here? I know I haven't been much use to you today."</p>
<p>"You were my patient today, Liv, not my assistant. We can resume our usual roles tomorrow, after a good night's sleep," Patricia told her gruffly as she pulled on her puffy winter jacket. "If you do want to stay a bit longer, I would suggest getting started on those lab tests. And I don't have to remind you about lab safety procedures, do I?"</p>
<p>"No, no, I'm good, thank you," Liv replied with a grateful smile. "Have a good night and thank you again. For everything."</p>
<p>Patricia just grunted out her usual goodbye, ignoring the two vampires completely as she left for the night. Liv took a few moments just to enjoy Godric's steady, unobtrusive presence, his strong arms wrapped gently around her, his fingers lightly caressing along her side.</p>
<p>"Liv?" Godric asked softly, calling her back from the edge of sleep.</p>
<p>She shook herself, making a conscious effort to straighten her spine and get some energy back into her body. "Sorry. I'm a bit tired. But I'd still like to take a look at the samples you provided."</p>
<p>"I'll get you a coffee," Eric offered.</p>
<p>"Thank you, but I'd better not. The caffeine isn't good for the baby," Liv replied with a regretful sigh, a little gratified when Eric seemed nearly as dismayed about this fact as she was. She looked to Godric, expecting a similar reaction from him, but the older vampire appeared not in the least surprised – which reminded her about a strange common theme to the last few days. "You hid the coffee!"</p>
<p>Godric gave her a slightly apologetic look. "I read that it could be harmful and I thought maybe without it you would allow yourself to get a little more sleep. I worry about that, Liv. You're stretching your time too thin – because of me."</p>
<p>"No, Godric, not because of you. Because <strong>I</strong> want to spend my time like this, making the most of every day and enjoying every minute I have with you," Liv argued, softly kissing the corner of Godric's mouth. "And I actually get more rest now than I used to because I sleep better when you're next to me. You keep the nightmares at bay." She smiled at him and gave him another kiss. "So please try not to worry… and if you do, talk to me."</p>
<p>"I'll try," Godric promised, playfully nipping at her lips when she darted in for another quick peck. "Do you mind if I wait for you while you finish your work?"</p>
<p>"You don't have to," Liv told him, but when Godric just shook his head with a smile she got a few books and flyers from behind Patricia's desk to hand them to Godric. "I'm sure Patricia will have some additional recommendations, but I think these are a good place to start."</p>
<p>"Perfect." Godric beamed at her and readily followed her directions to the waiting room, where he and Eric settled placidly into adjacent chairs.</p>
<p>Liv returned to the examination room and started to unpack Patricia's bag, pulling out the patient charts to get an idea on what she had missed that day, entering any relevant information into their computer system before she secured the hard copies in the locked file cabinet. She also updated her own file, recorded the data from the ultrasound and made sure that the results from her blood test were filed. She saved a copy of the ultrasound scan onto a memory stick for herself and Godric. Patricia had little appreciation for such frivolities as souvenir pictures, of course, and even if she might have conceded to make an exception for Liv, their black-and-white printer was not equipped to print out photographs.</p>
<p>The offices were protected by a state-of-the-art security system, of course, but Patricia had still mandated that only information that was absolutely essential to the treatment of their patient was included in their file – avoiding if at all possible any hints or references to the supernatural. So she hesitated only briefly before she saved and closed her own file, without adding any notes on the child's probable father.</p>
<p>She spent a few more minutes putting the examination room back in order before she went through the safety door and entered the small basement lab. Since most of their patients had at least some affinity to the supernatural, they had to do most of the testing in-house and were equipped accordingly. It had been an adjustment for Liv, whose knowledge on lab work had been mostly theoretical, but she had come to quite enjoy the clearly structured calm of the lab and the safe haven it provided her.</p>
<p>She got the semen samples out first, prepped two slides and then looked at them under the microscope, trying to assert sperm count, shape, motility. But there was nothing to be found in either sample. While to the naked eye the two samples had looked to be the right consistency and color, under the microscope it became clear that they contained no live sperm, nothing to suggest even a hint of viability. Liv was almost relieved.</p>
<p>Not because she didn't want to have confirmation that Godric could be the biological father of her child, but because it would also have necessitated a reevaluation of her own identity, on the effects, if any, her blood and her presence had on the people around her. Up until now, she had been happy to accept and operate under Queen Sophie-Anne's assessment that her blood might be tasty, but ultimately compatible and non-effective. And she wasn't ready to rethink that.</p>
<p>It was a rather short-sighted and cowardly view on things, as well she knew, and she chastised herself for choosing to bury her head in the sand rather than to try to find all the answers she possible could, as if blissful ignorance would negate the factual truth. She took a deep, centering breath and closed her eyes to try to order her mind and think past her own apprehensions. She had tried to apply human reference values and assessment criteria to decidedly non-human samples, so these non-results were hardly surprising. Especially if she followed Godric's theory that her blood was the cause for the changes he had noticed in himself. Eric had only ever had her blood once, several months ago, and Godric never took more than a few drops of her blood. And, now that she thought about it, it had been some time since he had last bitten her. If her blood had any effects on them, it was more than likely that they would no longer be verifiable at this stage.</p>
<p>She straightened and resolved to discuss her findings with the two vampires, asking them if they would be willing to provide another semen sample, at least Godric's after he had some of her blood. She quickly disposed of the old samples and then tried her luck with the blood tubes, though in this case she wasn't surprised when the results were less than inconclusive. Vampire blood just wasn't comparable to human blood, on any level.</p>
<p>But she had done enough work for today, enough thinking, enough trying to figure things out; instead of just being happy. She quickly put the lab to rights again before she went back upstairs and did another check that everything was locked and secured.</p>
<p>The two vampires were still in the waiting room where she had left them, sitting next to each other with one of the books open between them, the others scattered over the low table in front of them. Eric had his phone at the ready, probably to research any questions that arose during reading, and Godric was filling a notepad with meticulous, detailed notes in his perfect calligraphy.</p>
<p>They didn't look up immediately, though of course they must have noticed her arrival, and she just watched them for a few moments, enjoying as always how perfectly in tune they were with each other, without words, their heads bent together, their shoulders brushing. She smiled and went over to them, wrapping her arms around Godric and burying her nose in his soft hair, breathing in his clean, earthy smell, as she glanced at what he had written down. The pages were filled with neat columns for things "Good for Liv", things "Bad for Liv", "Baby's development", "Normal symptoms", "Warnings signs and complications" and "How to support Liv". Inexplicably it made her feel a bit teary-eyed.</p>
<p>"The baby couldn't have picked anyone better to be his or her father," she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the velvety patch of pale skin behind Godric's ear. "Thank you, you two. You're both just wonderful."</p>
<p>"I think it's high time that we take Liv home. She's starting to sound mushy," Eric commented, sending her a grin when she poked his shoulder. "Are you all done here?"</p>
<p>Liv nodded, sighing happily when Godric ran his fingers gently through her hair and pulled her carefully against his side. "We can take the books home with us, if you'd like. I'll return them in a few days."</p>
<p>"They're very interesting – if a bit daunting," Godric admitted, seeming to hold her a little tighter. "It seems that a lot can go wrong."</p>
<p>Liv sighed, reaching out to smooth the worry line between his eyebrows. "Because these are medical books, written for medical professionals who need to be able to recognize and know how to act in just such cases. You don't need to worry about these things."</p>
<p>"But you're a medical professional, Liv, and if you worry, I worry," Godric replied, somehow managing to sound both stubborn and supportive. Eric started to gather up the books.</p>
<p>"That's not what I want, though," Liv pointed out, sighing softly when Godric just smiled and breathed a kiss into her hair. "Fine, but we're not a statistic or one of these case studies and I need you to know that a lot can go right as well."</p>
<p>"Of course I know that, cridiíon imon. You're everything that has gone right in my life," Godric promised, laughing when Eric snorted and rolled his eyes at them. "In our lives, even if Eric won't ever admit it."</p>
<p>"I don't have to. You're soulful enough for both of us," Eric replied dryly. "Are we ready to go then?"</p>
<p>They piled back into the car, Godric offering her the passenger seat again while Eric slid into the driver seat. He was driving more slowly than usual, though, his blatant disregard for speed limits, traffic signs and other drivers dimmed to a more mindful nonchalance. Liv almost teased him for it, but instead just smiled and relaxed into her seat, watching a few sleepy raindrops roll past her window.</p>
<p>"Did you find out anything with your tests?" Eric asked, lightly touching her shoulder to get her attention.</p>
<p>"Not really," Liv admitted and started to tell them about her findings and the conclusions she had drawn. "I think I need to repeat those tests immediately after you've had my blood. The results might be clearer then."</p>
<p>"I can't drink your blood, Liv," Godric refuted softly.</p>
<p>"Because you think it makes you human?"</p>
<p>"Because you're pregnant," Godric reminded her, gently, kindly, but it still felt like a sledgehammer to her temple, a deafening, dizzying blow. She didn't hear anything he said after that and turned to stare out the window, her own pale reflection looking back at her like the ghost of her guilty conscience.</p>
<p>"Liv? You're blocking me again," Godric called her, carefully resting his hand on her arm.</p>
<p>"I just want to go home," Liv whispered, avoiding Godric's wounded, worried gaze and curling up against the car door, away from them.</p>
<p>They passed the short rest of the drive in silence, though Liv could still feel their concerned eyes on her, the currents of worry between them. She just concentrated on the rain and on her breathing. Eric smoothly pulled the car into the garage, cut the engine, exchanged another glance with Godric and disappeared inside.</p>
<p>Godric opened the door for her, offered her his arm and silently shadowed her step when she didn't reach out to him. It only made her feel more awful.</p>
<p>"Talk to me, please," Godric whispered, slipping inside the bathroom before she could close the door on him.</p>
<p>"There's nothing I could say that wouldn't be selfish," Liv admitted, turning on the faucet and holding her wrists under the cold stream.</p>
<p>"Then be selfish," Godric replied simply, resting his hands lightly on her waist. "Tell me what's bothering you and we will find a way to make it better."</p>
<p>"How can you?" Liv asked. "You don't want to bite me because I'm pregnant and it might hurt the baby and I -"</p>
<p>"You want me to bite you?"</p>
<p>"I want you to touch me!" Liv exclaimed, feeling the hot sting of tears in her eyes. "I don't want to go back to how it was before, to being alone and isolated and always on guard."</p>
<p>"Liv, you know you can touch me and -"</p>
<p>"It's not the same! Stolen moments, nothing more than a fleeting brush of skin and even then I have to shield myself and push everything else down so that I don't get sucked into the past. It's exhausting and I don't… But you're right, the baby comes first."</p>
<p>"You both come first," Godric corrected her, carefully wiping the tears from her cheeks with the corner of a wet towel. "And your mental health is just as important as your physical wellbeing."</p>
<p>"It doesn't matter."</p>
<p>"Of course it does, cridiíon imon. I don't claim to understand what touch means to you – perhaps my experiences have been too different in that regard – but I understand loneliness and I don't ever want you to feel that way."</p>
<p>"I know I'm not alone; I know you're there for me, but…"</p>
<p>"You're scared," Godric finished for her, gathering her into his secure embrace and rocking her soothingly. "Let it out, Liv. And then we'll find a solution."</p>
<p>It was as if a part of her had been waiting for that, snapping the tight leash she had wrapped around her emotions lest they become unmanageable and hurtful. She screamed. It wasn't her banshee screech, which she still couldn't wield without the trigger of one of her visions, and yet it wasn't entirely human, too painful and alive, dissonant and otherworldly. Godric just held her tighter, allowing her to bury her face against his chest and cling to him with all her strength.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely, checking Godric over for any signs that her scream might have hurt him.</p>
<p>Godric shook his head and smiled. "I like to fly up into the atmosphere when it all gets too much down here. Or spar with Eric if I'm angry."</p>
<p>"I've never seen you do that," Liv said, brushing the tears away from her cheeks.</p>
<p>"I have had very little reason to be angry lately, cridiíon imon." Godric laughed, blowing a kiss against her lips. "My point is that sometimes it's good to let things out."</p>
<p>"I know," Liv admitted with a small sigh. "But…"</p>
<p>"Why don't you take a shower?" Godric suggested gently, running his hands up and down her arms. "I know that the water always helps you to calm down."</p>
<p>"Okay," Liv agreed, managing a fleeting smile for her vampire.</p>
<p>Godric smiled back and helped her to pull her sweater up over her head, folding all her clothes carefully before he left her to her shower. The warm water made her feel a little better, if only because it reminded her that her choices were still her own and that all similarities and fears aside her situation was very different from her mother's.</p>
<p>When she stepped out of the shower, she heard a tentative knock on the door and Godric's soft call of her name.</p>
<p>"Come in," she called, smiling when Godric was at her side a moment later, holding out one of the large bath towels to place it around her shoulders. "Thank you."</p>
<p>"Do you mind if I help you dry off?" Godric asked with the hint of an impish sparkle in his warm brown eyes.</p>
<p>"Are you trying to seduce me out of my bad mood?" Liv laughed. "Because I have to tell you that just might work."</p>
<p>"Good." Godric adjusted the fold of the towel around her shoulders already catching a few errant drops with the corner of the soft terry cloth before he pulled a second towel from the rack and diligently ran it over her entire body, over her arms and legs, down her hips and thighs, along her neck and throat, over her breasts and belly, along the curves of her buttocks and even lightly between her legs.</p>
<p>At one point, she must have closed her eyes and Godric had maneuvered her to lean comfortably against the heated towel rack, the warmth at her back a delicious contrast to Godric's cool breaths against her skin, his still gentle caress along the lines of her body. She could have let herself fall, easily.</p>
<p>Instead she opened her eyes, sighing softly when she found only understanding in Godric's gaze. "Raincheck?" he offered, and she nodded with a fleeting smile, knowing that this was a word he had only learned from her.</p>
<p>Godric handed her her pajamas and also wrapped a bathrobe around her, kneeling down in front of her when she sat down on the edge of the bathtub. "I don't want to take your blood if that could mean hurting you or the baby and I don't mind drinking Tru Blood."</p>
<p>"Of course, I get that…" Liv started, but Godric gave her wrists a gentle squeeze and continued to speak, "But it's not only that for you, Liv, and it's not selfish if you tell me what you need."</p>
<p>"Godric, I'm not going to ask you to do something you don't want to do," Liv protested, reaching out to caress his cool cheek. "And I'll be fine. I think I just hadn't realized all the implications before… And maybe I do have mood swings."</p>
<p>"Eric will be delighted," Godric replied with amusement before he continued with a careful question, "From what I understand, some blood tests are recommended for you, to check that everything is okay with you and the baby?"</p>
<p>Liv nodded slowly, studying Godric as she explained that regular lab tests were part of routine prenatal care, that Patricia had already done the tests that were suggested during early pregnancy but that she would probably order a few more tests in the coming months to monitor her and the baby's health.</p>
<p>"And these tests are quite safe?" Godric asked.</p>
<p>"They are," Liv assured him, grasping for his hands. "My test results now were excellent and…" She cut herself off, afraid that Godric might agree to something he wasn't comfortable with just to please her.</p>
<p>He squeezed her fingers and breathed a small kiss over her knuckles before he released her hand again. "I don't want to pressure you, either, Liv, and this is a decision we need to make together," he said with a smile full of understanding. "But do you think I could suggest something? Perhaps we could try to abstain a little while longer and find other ways to be together, at least for the first trimester."</p>
<p>"And then?" Liv asked, unable to hide the hope in her voice.</p>
<p>"And then I think we should celebrate." Godric grinned and laughed when she threw herself into his arms. "In moderation, of course, but if your blood values continue to be good and if you don't have any concerns, I think I could be allowed a little nip of your blood."</p>
<p>"Yes, thank you!" Liv whispered, peppering his face with kisses. "Thank you!"</p>
<p>Godric laughed, softly shaking his head before he pulled her tight into his arms. "No, Liv, thank you. If I said it a thousand times, screamed it from the rooftops and whispered it to you while you slept, it still would fall short of expressing how truly grateful I am to have you in my life."</p>
<p>"I don't need words," she assured him gently, warmed to her very core by Godric's love. "But I would like a kiss."</p>
<p>"I think we can manage that," Godric agreed eagerly, catching her lips with his own when she darted forward, returning soft pressure with soft pressure and nipping on her bottom lip with just a hint of fang. Liv sighed happily, her eyes fluttering close even as she pulled back regretfully.</p>
<p>"You must be tired," Godric murmured, gently pulling her to her feet.</p>
<p>"A little," Liv admitted, leaning against him. "And it must be close to sunrise by now, right?"</p>
<p>"Another half an hour," Eric offered from the bed, where he was sprawled out with his usual abandon, so effortlessly handsome and casually graceful that Liv sometimes wondered when her life had turned into a commercial for Ashley Madison.</p>
<p>Eric winked and spread his arms wider in a clear invitation as Godric dropped a kiss into her hair and then swiveled away, presumably to get ready for bed, though Liv's eyes weren't fast enough to track his movements. Instead she slipped into bed and snuggled into Eric's side, reaching for Eric's arm to wrap it around her waist. She winced at the distorted flash of a vision that pushed into her mind.</p>
<p>"Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" Eric gave back, obediently placing his arm around her and starting to rub her back. "In case you didn't notice, you're the one with the mood swings."</p>
<p>He grinned at her and Liv rolled her eyes. "Just so you know, that joke's going to get old quickly."</p>
<p>"Some things get better with age," Eric shot back. He looked fine, happy, carefree, but then that didn't necessarily mean that he felt that way, too. There was something a little too bright and sparkly about his grin – a smile for show rather than an authentic expression of joy. That, and the cruel snippet of his past she had just seen told her that Eric was not as calm and self-composed as he appeared.</p>
<p>She wasn't going to try and poke holes into his armor of charm, though, or force him to talk about his feelings when she knew from experience that that was a losing battle even on the best of days. Eric liked to keep things to himself and only address them, if at all, when he was good and ready to do so.</p>
<p>So she was willing to let the subject drop, secure in the knowledge that if something was seriously bothering Eric, he would at least talk with Godric about it. But when the older vampire slipped into bed next to her, his breath minty-fresh as he blew a kiss against her cheek, Eric's arms went slack around her as if he suddenly felt uneasy about his hold on her, unsure or even unwelcome. And she couldn't have that.</p>
<p>She lifted up slightly and brushed the softest kiss against Eric's cheek, glad when the brief contact didn't bring forth another vision. "You're a part of this, Eric. Of us. And I wouldn't have it any other way."</p>
<p>"You should have told me that earlier, Liv. I would have loved to be more actively involved from the very beginning," Eric flashed her a leering grin, his fingers brushing with seeming innocence over her breast as he casually slung his arms back around her and Godric, as if he had merely been stretching earlier. "I'm sure I would have had a lot to contribute."</p>
<p>Liv rolled her eyes and batted Eric's hand away, hoping against hope that they might have missed her blush and the slight uptick in her heartbeat. They hadn't, of course, but Liv still felt sheltered and content when they molded themselves around her, Godric pressing another kiss into her hair and Eric's hand coming to rest protectively on her stomach.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <i>PS: I'm no medical professional - everything subject to correction.</i>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Intermezzo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>4. Intermezzo – Cavalleria Rusticana – Pietro Mascagni</strong>
</p>
<p>The next morning came too soon and with it came another spell of morning sickness that left her bent over the toilet bowl, miserable and exhausted and selfishly wishing that Godric was there to rub her back and bring her a glass of water. After a while, though, she started to feel better again, well enough to get dressed and start her day, lagging only a few minutes behind her usual schedule.</p>
<p>She had no time to spare for brooding during the day and for the most part she almost forgot that she was pregnant, too busy with the endless string of patients, research and lab work and the administrative matters that also needed attending. And in the late afternoon, when Patricia had been about to send her home for the day, they received another urgent call for help, this time from Alcide, who had somehow run afoul of an animal trap and needed medical attention for the sharp-toothed lacerations in his shoulder.</p>
<p>The werewolf lived on the outskirts of Shreveport, in a fairly sized house that he was in the process of remodeling as evidenced by a whiff of fresh paint in the air and an extended workbench next to the front porch. The freshly sanded wooden boards were splattered with blood, though, and from the looks of it, quite liberally. Liv could hear cursing and growls from inside that only cut off when Patricia authoritatively knocked on the door.</p>
<p>"Thank God, you're here!" the door was jerked open by a frazzled looking blond, her arms and shirt smeared with red streaks. "Come in, come in. Alcide's in the kitchen. It's bad. I tried to bandage the wound, but it just won't stop bleeding and -"</p>
<p>"Did you want us to tend to the patient or is this going to be an oral presentation?" Patricia interrupted her, elbowing her way into the house and following the sound of Alcide's groans into the kitchen.</p>
<p>"What? But… I just wanted to…" The blond woman looked beseechingly to Liv.</p>
<p>"It's okay. But it's always better if we can see the patient for ourselves," Liv said with an encouraging smile before she went after Patricia. "You're Debbie, right? Can you tell us what happened?"</p>
<p>"Fell," Alcide pressed out through clenched teeth, his eyes flickering a warning yellow as Patricia peeled away the makeshift bandage Debbie had fastened around his shoulder.</p>
<p>"It was an animal trap," Debbie offered, her hands twisting together as she hovered uncertainly on the side lines. "Please, can you fix him?"</p>
<p>"We'll see," Patricia said non-committedly, cutting away what remained of Alcide's tattered sleeve in order to better inspect the damage to his upper arm and shoulder. "Nasty wound you have there, right down to the bone, incomplete tear of the rotator cuff. Let me see you squeeze my hands."</p>
<p>Patricia crossed her arms and grasped both of Alcide's huge paws with her gnarly hands, ignoring his hiss of pain as she instructed him to squeeze. "Diminished strength, as was to be expected. But your range of mobility and the bones look to be unimpaired."</p>
<p>"But he's not healing," Debbie protested, daring to come a little closer again.</p>
<p>"And a good thing, too," Patricia commented, poking at the wound again and seeming completely unimpressed when Debbie snarled angrily. "You must have broken the trap when you freed yourself; there's a part of it still stuck in your shoulder, right underneath the acromion. Hand me the forceps."</p>
<p>The last was directed to Liv, who quickly got them from Patricia's bag, handed them over, and then also fished out a small, high-powered flashlight to give Patricia a little more light to work with. She wanted to wince in sympathy as Patricia began to dig in earnest into Alcide's shoulder and the normally reserved werewolf began to curse up a storm, but she kept on her professional mien, resting her hands on Alcide's good shoulder to encourage him to hold still and wiping away the blood that freely flowed down his arm.</p>
<p>"Aha!" Patricia declared triumphantly, holding up a triangular piece of metal as Alcide slumped with a last whimpered growl. "A bit larger than I had expected."</p>
<p>Liv sent her a chiding look and then turned to smile encouragingly at Alcide, lightly rubbing his good shoulder. "You got through the worst part. Now we'll just clean the wound and put in some stitches and then your body can start to heal."</p>
<p>"What suture material would you use?" Patricia asked, as always prioritizing the medical care of her patients over their emotional wellbeing.</p>
<p>"Absorbable, monofilament," Liv answered without hesitation, unerringly reaching into the bag and pulling out the right suture material. "Alcide's healing should kick in soon so we only need to point it in the right direction."</p>
<p>Patricia gave her a sharp nod of approval, but then reached to check her phone. "Make sure to clean the wound thoroughly. I don't like how much dirt got into it."</p>
<p>"Another call?" Liv asked, trying to interpret Patricia's frown.</p>
<p>"Stonewall," Patricia replied, which could either mean that they had a new patient there or, the more likely option, that the trolls living in that area had decided to bash their heads in again, which usually required a large supply of supersize bandages, a hefty dose of the foul-smelling ointment Patricia prepared for just these occasions and a willingness to shout louder than a camp of cantankerous trolls.</p>
<p>That last one was not exactly Liv's forte and so she was privately a little relieved when Patricia told her to take over Alcide's care while she went ahead to assess the situation. "I'll let you know if I need your assistance. Do you have a handle on this?"</p>
<p>"Go, we've got this." Liv nodded, quickly and efficiently getting everything she needed from Patricia's bag. "There're some extra bandages and supplies in the trunk and I can ask Eric to come pick me up so you won't have to drive back here."</p>
<p>"Call me if there're any complications," Patricia said, already halfway out the door when she turned around once more. "The sun set five minutes ago."</p>
<p>She just threw it out there, a reassurance for Liv, a warning to the two werewolves, and then banged the front door shut behind her, the sounds of her truck filtering through the walls soon after.</p>
<p>"Let's get you fixed up, then." Liv softly cleared her throat and slipped on a pair of sterile gloves, trying to ignore Debbie's rather spooked expression and the way the female werewolf was very obviously scenting the air. "This might sting a little bit, but I have to clean the wound to prevent infection."</p>
<p>"Just do it," Alcide said, gritting his teeth as she started to rinse and clean the wound, using gauze pads and tweezers to get rid of any contaminations.</p>
<p>"Aren't these traps usually on the ground? How did you manage to hurt your shoulder like that?" Liv asked to distract him, slightly worried when she noticed that Alcide's skin actually felt a little cool to the touch, his body temperature not nearly as high as it should be.</p>
<p>Alcide just grunted in pain, his eyes flickering yellow again.</p>
<p>"I… We had a fight and I wanted to get some air," Debbie explained, throwing one last worried look out the window before approaching hesitantly. "Alcide tried to follow me and I just… I'm so sorry, babe, I didn't mean to push you that hard."</p>
<p>"It's fine. You didn't know about the trap," Alcide said, growling testily at Liv a moment later before seeming to remember his manners and giving her an apologetic look. "Sorry."</p>
<p>"I'm almost done," Liv promised, quickly changing her gloves and readying the suture material. "I think we'll only need four or five stitches. Debbie, could you step around to the other side, please? I think I would have more light that way."</p>
<p>Debbie had gradually inched closer and had come to hover somewhere just behind Liv - too close for comfort and quite thoroughly blocking the light of the kitchen lamp.</p>
<p>"Sorry," the blond woman mumbled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get in the way, I just… feel useless."</p>
<p>"Maybe you could check that there're no more traps in the woods so that no-one else will get hurt," Liv suggested, a little startled at Debbie's wide-eyed look of near-panic.</p>
<p>"I can't go out there!" she exclaimed, looking pleadingly to Alcide. "They're out there!"</p>
<p>"Deb, they won't attack you unless you provoke them – and you won't, right?" The broad-shouldered werewolf gave her a very pointed look, still seeming slightly suspicious even after Debbie's hasty nod.</p>
<p>Liv wanted to add something to the effect that Eric and Godric probably weren't even anywhere close by, but she wasn't sure she could make that statement, especially with last night's revelations.</p>
<p>Godric was usually very good at respecting her privacy and independence, never giving her reason to believe that he was intruding on either, but he also liked to visit her at work sometimes, to checked up on her or to pick her up for a date or just because he missed her and she couldn't imagine that that would change now. She hoped it wouldn't.</p>
<p>So instead she just gave Debbie a smile and said, "They won't hurt you, but if you want to stay inside, you could maybe get a sweater or a jacket for Alcide. I'm a bit worried about your low temperature and I don't want it to drop any further."</p>
<p>"Okay, be right back," Debbie agreed eagerly and gratefully, leaving Liv to focus on Alcide and the task at hand.</p>
<p>She took another close look at the wound, mentally calculating how many stitches she would need, but then paused as the tension and pain suddenly left Alcide's body, his healing finally – finally - kicking in. Alcide sighed in relief, his fingers uncurling from their clenched positions.</p>
<p>"Huh." She breathed out softly. "That's good."</p>
<p>"You said yourself that you needed to clean the wound before I could heal," Alcide replied a bit defensively, rolling both shoulders despite her attempts to keep him still.</p>
<p>"Don't stress your shoulder just yet, please," Liv admonished him, monitoring how the edges of his wound slowly but surely knitted back together until it looked weeks old, a thin, slightly puckered, red line in his tan skin. "How's your pain level? Better?"</p>
<p>"Better," Alcide agreed, peering curiously at his shoulder. "I think your work here's done, Liv."</p>
<p>"Fuck, thank God!" Debbie almost tumbled through the door in her haste to reach them, such a stark look of relief on her face that Liv instinctively shied back a little so as not to get in her way. "Babe, fuck, I was so worried."</p>
<p>"I'm fine," Alcide assured her, smiling at her and then pulling her down for a kiss. "Breathe, Deb, or Liv will have to tend to you next."</p>
<p>Debbie pulled in a shaky breath, but managed a tremulous smile and then turned to Liv, holding out the sweater she had brought as if she was trying to make a hostage exchange. "Will he be okay now? Do you still need this?"</p>
<p>"Let me take your temperature," she suggested, getting the thermometer and taking Alcide's ear temperature, checking the results when she heard the small beep. Normal – or at least it would have been if Alcide had been human. But for a werewolf his temperature was still slightly too low, which could either be just an innocent, temporary aberration or, again in werewolf terms, the sign of a beginning infection.</p>
<p>"And?" Alcide asked, absently rubbing his ear.</p>
<p>"I don't think it's anything to worry about, but your temperature is only just within the normal human range when you should run at least a few degrees hotter than me," Liv said and immediately wished she could take the words back. Because of course her own basal temperature would be elevated now, due to an increased blood flow to support the growing life inside her womb.</p>
<p>As if on cue – given by her tell-tale heart, no doubt - both werewolves inhaled deeply, scenting the air, and Alcide cocked his head in her direction before his eyes widened in comic disbelief.</p>
<p>"You're pregnant," Debbie breathed out. It sounded like an accusation, but not against Liv, as the hurt and betrayed look she sent Alcide made all too clear. A moment later, Debbie stormed out, banging the front door shut behind her.</p>
<p>"Sorry, it's a touchy subject for her," Alcide said with a sigh. "But that's… Does Godric know?"</p>
<p>Liv laughed, despite herself. "He knew before I did, actually. I only found out yesterday so it still feels a little strange. And we haven't told anyone yet, so if you could keep it a secret for now, I would appreciate that."</p>
<p>"Sure," Alcide agreed absently before continuing in a tentative, worried tone. "And how are things with Godric?"</p>
<p>Liv winced mentally, almost sure that Alcide had come to the same conclusion as Eric, that she had cheated on Godric and that the vampire would be rightfully angry about that. She sighed, trying herself on a reassuring smile. "We're happy."</p>
<p>"But then why did you say you were going to call Eric to pick you up?"</p>
<p>"Because Godric doesn't drive," Liv replied simply, shaking her head with a small laugh when Alcide seemed completely thrown by her response. "Alcide, I really appreciate your concern, but I promise you Godric and I are fine. I've never seen him happier, actually, and I know he'll be a great father."</p>
<p>"Oh," Alcide said. "I'm glad to hear that and… congratulations?"</p>
<p>"Thank you." Liv smiled, rubbing her hand lightly against her stomach as if she could pass Alcide's words on to the little life growing inside of her. "Can you try to move your arm for me? Any pain or restrictions?"</p>
<p>Alcide rolled his broad shoulders, experimentally at first, but then got up and stretched his arms above his head, to the side, bent his elbows and wiggled his fingers. "Feels normal."</p>
<p>Liv nodded approvingly. "Good. But I still want you take it easy for a few days – no heavy lifting or excessive exercise – and if your temperature doesn't normalize within the next few hours, if you start to experience any pain or notice redness or swelling, you need to call us immediately. Understood?"</p>
<p>"Understood," Alcide agreed. "Thank you. If you want I can drive you back to the doctor's office – you left your car there, right?"</p>
<p>"Thanks, but shouldn't you check on Debbie?" Liv asked. "I'm sorry that my news upset her."</p>
<p>"I think she'd rather have her space right now," Alcide said. "And it's not your fault. We've had this topic – in all its variations – many times before. She wants to have children."</p>
<p>"And you don't?" Liv asked, following Alcide to the door.</p>
<p>"I don't want werewolf children."</p>
<p>"Wow, that's a harsh thing to say, isn't it? You're basically telling her that you could imagine having children, but not with her," Liv said softly, knowing that contrary to popular belief werewolves were born rather than bitten and that any child of a werewolf, particularly if both parents were affected, was likely to inherit the gene. "I can understand why she would be upset at that."</p>
<p>"It's not like that," Alcide protested. "I just… I don't want to bring a werewolf child into this world when I know how much shit they would have to deal with. Aren't you worried that your child will be like you?"</p>
<p>She hadn't been worried, not until Alcide had said that. But now, Liv noticed a curious edging of grey around the corners of her field of vision. She forced herself to take a deep breath and count to ten before the panic could consume her. Gentle arms closed around her waist as Godric's familiar voice reached her through the fog of fear.</p>
<p>"Any child of Liv's will be perfect," he said, smiling encouragingly at her when she turned towards him. "Whether or not they have your abilities."</p>
<p>Liv sighed, moving into his arms and mumbling a quiet thank you against his chest. Godric pressed a kiss into her hair, holding her close for a moment before he gently pushed her back a little so that he could meet her eyes. "I love you, cridiíon imon, and I'm going to love this child just as much. And I think that's a good start – even if I don't have your faith in my abilities as a father."</p>
<p>"You heard that?" Liv asked, feeling her heart beat a little more lightly at Godric's carefree grin.</p>
<p>"I was waiting for you," Godric replied, smiling into the brief kiss she pressed against his lips. "And I checked the woods for traps and triggered the ones I found. That should make things at least a little safer."</p>
<p>"Thanks," Alcide said. "And thank you for patching me up, Liv."</p>
<p>"Anytime – though, I hope not too often," Liv replied. "And I'm sorry about what I said. It wasn't my place to pry and I hope that you and Debbie will forgive me."</p>
<p>"It's fine," Alcide reassured her with a smile that looked only a little strained, which was the norm when either Eric or Godric were around. "Did you want me to drive you? It's no problem."</p>
<p>"It's kind of you to offer, but I already called Eric," Godric declined politely. "He will be here in a few minutes."</p>
<p>They said their goodbyes to Alcide and strolled slowly down the access road, Godric offering to carry the bag for her and then just wrapping his arm lightly around her middle when she declined. The silence felt soothing and comfortable, even if Godric's reassurances had not completely wiped away her doubts and fears. But that was perhaps a problem for another night, when she knew her own mind and was not just reacting to a carelessly thrown out remark and the resurgence of memories best forgotten.</p>
<p>"Did I do something to upset you, Liv?" Godric asked timidly.</p>
<p>"No, quite the opposite actually," Liv assured him, reaching out to intertwine their fingers. "Sorry, I'm just lost in thought. But I'm not upset, I promise. What you said back there was beautiful; it meant a lot to me."</p>
<p>"I'm glad. But I was wondering about this morning. You didn't kiss me before you left," he said it softly, as if he was embarrassed by his own daring.</p>
<p>Liv shook her head with a smile and threw her arms around him, pressing a small kiss against his lips. "I'm sorry, love, I didn't mean to worry you. I wasn't feeling well this morning and I didn't want you to smell the sickness on my breath."</p>
<p>"Oh," Godric seemed to consider her words. "You were sick this morning?"</p>
<p>"It's normal. My body's going through a lot of changes right now, but it'll all balance out in a little while," Liv promised, leaning in for another soft and tender kiss.</p>
<p>"I don't like that you were sick and I wasn't there to support you," Godric insisted, his lips drawing into a stubborn pout that she both loved and hated. "I want you to wake me up next time - any time. Liv, I want to be there for you."</p>
<p>"You are," Liv argued, framing his face between her hands. "I'd be scared out of my mind if it wasn't for you, Godric. You keep me calm and make me feel confident and strong and above all loved. So I don't need you to get up in the middle of the day just to hold my hand and rub my back – because I know that if I asked you to do that – or anything else - you would, without a moment's hesitation. And that's all I need to feel better. Okay?"</p>
<p>Godric sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "May I still ask Eric to set up something, some kind of alarm that you can sound if you ever need us to wake up?"</p>
<p>"Of course. I think that's a good idea," Liv agreed, smiling into Godric's kiss. Eric had probably already started plotting a number of ways to up their security – not that their security needed upping – and this seemed a very small and reasonable thing compared to what else he might have in store.</p>
<p>Speaking of Eric, he was already parked and waiting for them, speeding around the car and opening the door to the front passenger seat with a perfectly exaggerated bow. "Your chariot awaits, Miss Liv."</p>
<p>"How very gallant of you," Liv replied, lifting up to peck Eric's cheek. "Thank you, Eric."</p>
<p>"Anytime," Eric said, sliding in on the driver's side as Godric made sure that she was settled comfortably before he smoothly slipped onto the back seat. "Do you need us to drop you off somewhere or are we going home for the night?"</p>
<p>"Let me call Patricia," Liv said, quickly dialing her boss's number. Their conversation when Patricia picked up was brief, Patricia telling her that she had everything well in hand and that she had already seen to all three patients and was about to pack up for the night and that Liv should do the same.</p>
<p>"So no detours?" Eric clarified when she had hung up.</p>
<p>"My car's still parked at the office. Could you…?"</p>
<p>"I'll get it for you later," Eric promised without her having to finish the sentence.</p>
<p>"Thank you." Liv leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment, just enjoying Godric's fingers caressing lightly against her arm.</p>
<p>"So, Alcide and his on-off girlfriend know you're pregnant," Eric broke the silence a few miles later, actually stopped at a red traffic light.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry. I know you're worried about that and I probably should have tried to deflect, but…"</p>
<p>"Liv, you don't have to apologize," Godric intervened, giving her arm a light squeeze and smiling encouragingly at her through the rearview mirror. "I love your honesty and this is not something we can hide over the long term – particularly considering how many of your patients have enhanced senses."</p>
<p>"It wasn't meant as a reproach," Eric added. "Though I do think we need to decide how we're going to handle this – who needs to know you're pregnant and who needs to know more than that."</p>
<p>"Perhaps we can talk about this at home," Godric suggested mildly and changed the subject to ask about Liv's day and tell her about a concert he wanted to take her to.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. If music be the food of love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>5. If music be the food of love – Z. 379 - Henry Purcell</strong>
</p>
<p>When Liv entered the kitchen – after a quick shower to get rid of any work smells that might offend sensitive vampire noses – she found that Godric was already busy with the dinner preparations and smoothly slid into the familiar role of his sous-chef, or rather as Eric had once joked, Mistress of Appliances. She switched on the plates and oven as requested, boiled water for a cup of tea and left everything else in Godric's more than capable hands. Including herself.</p>
<p>She laughed when Godric swirled around her and blew a teasing kiss against her cheek before he wrapped her in his arms. "I just realized that we missed our dance class last night. So maybe, if you'd like, we could play some music later and see where it takes us?"</p>
<p>"And if it takes us to the bedroom?" Liv asked hopefully.</p>
<p>"Then I think that would be a very good direction." Godric grinned at her, leading her through a short waltz before excusing himself with an old-fashioned bow. "But dinner first."</p>
<p>"Dinner first," Liv agreed with a smile, picking a tea bag from their rather extensive selection before sliding into one of the high-backed kitchen chairs.</p>
<p>On the table, Liv found the list of recommended reading as well as an already boldly highlighted checklist of warning signs and things to avoid during pregnancy from Patricia, both of which she had sent to Eric's e-mail address earlier.</p>
<p>"Eric's gone to pick up your car and get the books," Godric said, noticing the direction of her gaze.</p>
<p>"You don't have to get all the books on that list," Liv protested. "I think the ones you already bought are quite enough for now and if you have any questions you can always ask me or Patricia."</p>
<p>"We know, but I like reading them," Godric said, taking a break from cooking and pulling her into his arms. "This is not something I ever expected, or even dared dream of, and I understand that there's only so much I can do to support you. But reading these books makes me feel at least a little more prepared… a little more useful."</p>
<p>Liv sighed, running her fingers through Godric's soft brown hair. "Okay. But please stick to the books on that list and stay away from the internet. There's a lot of information out there and not all of it is reliable… or helpful."</p>
<p>"Of course," Godric agreed immediately. "I never really understood that internet thing, anyway. Eric showed me the one for cooking tips and recipes, but people seem to come up with a lot of strange ideas and I don't want to test them out on you."</p>
<p>Liv laughed, leaning in for a kiss. "I appreciate that very much, love. And by the way, whatever you're cooking now smells fantastic."</p>
<p>Godric beamed at her. "I'm making butternut squash with pistachio pesto, feta and pomegranate seeds and for dessert I was thinking of a chocolate mousse with berries?"</p>
<p>"Wonderful," Liv said, referring to more than just the meal. She felt an almost overwhelming wave of love for this wonderful man, of gratitude and affection and peacefulness as if sheltered in the invisible cocoon of his love for her.</p>
<p>"So are you, cridiíon imon," Godric declared as if in answer to her thoughts, breathing another kiss into her hair and lightly caressing her shoulder before he drew back.</p>
<p>Liv followed him, turning down the heat on one of the pots and then leaning against the kitchen counter while she sipped her tea and watched Godric with undeniable fondness and a well-familiar sense of awe.</p>
<p>Dinner, when Godric brought it to the table, smelled and looked fantastic, garnished with filigree cucumber roses and carrot butterflies and sprinkled with fresh herbs. Liv's stomach gave a rumble of approval and Godric pulled out her chair with a smile, lighting a single white candle on the table before he settled down opposite of her. They talked softly while Liv ate and after the main course, Godric got the chocolate mousse from the fridge and added fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for her.</p>
<p>Eric came back a few minutes later, loaded with bags from two different bookstores. He started to unpack his purchases, handing the books directly to Godric for his careful inspection. Liv also wandered over, comfortably leaning against Godric's side while she finishing the last few spoonfuls of her dessert.</p>
<p>"You should start with that one," she said, tapping one of the books Godric had just placed back down. "It'll give you a good overview and there's a lot of practical information."</p>
<p>"All right, I'll do that," Godric agreed readily, putting the book on top of the others. "Thank you, Eric."</p>
<p>Eric just waved his hand dismissively. "Are you finished with that? Let me put that in the dishwasher for you."</p>
<p>"Hey!" Liv protested as Eric took the spoon right out of her hand. "You can just tell me if the smell of the food bothers you."</p>
<p>"It wasn't the food that I found distracting, Liv," Eric replied, giving her a pointed look as he dropped the spoon into the cutlery basket.</p>
<p>"Oh," Liv breathed out, feeling a sudden heat in her cheeks though she was also a little surprised that her licking the spoon had any effect on Eric at all when he was usually quite happy to tease and flirt with her. "I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"I didn't say I minded, Liv." Eric shrugged and flashed her a smirk as the two vampires quickly loaded the rest of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. "But we have different priorities right now - are you ready to discuss some things?"</p>
<p>"I want to tell my aunts." Liv sighed, seeing Godric and Eric exchange worried looks before she had even finished. She had talked to Beth and Iris that morning, after reading a text from Eric that he might have worried them unintentionally, but only briefly, just to reassure them that she was fine and that she would talk to them as soon as she was ready. "They would never do anything to hurt me or the baby."</p>
<p>"We don't doubt their loyalty or love for you, but they're both human, cridiíon imon," Godric said softly, pulling her into his arms.</p>
<p>"They could be glamoured - or worse - to reveal what they know and that would put all of you in danger," Eric added in response to her scowl.</p>
<p>"They're my family," Liv pleaded. "They've been there for me my whole life and I'm not in the habit of keeping secrets from them. I won't start now."</p>
<p>"We're not suggesting that you hide your pregnancy from them. Of course you should share the good news with them. But don't you think they would understand if you told them that you can't tell them the full story, at least not yet?" Eric asked.</p>
<p>"Of course they would understand, but they'd also be hurt," Liv answered softly. "And I understand what you're saying and why you're concerned, but…" She sighed again and shook her head. "But nothing. You're right. We won't tell them."</p>
<p>"Liv, no," Godric protested, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. "Don't let us make this decision for you. Think about it, decide what feels right to you and whatever it is, know that we will support you. And so will your aunts, I'm sure."</p>
<p>"Thank you." Liv tried herself on a smile, glad that Godric was quite literally offering her his shoulder to lean on. "Do you think I could visit them and talk to them in person?"</p>
<p>"Of course, Liv," Godric agreed immediately. "Would you want me to come with you?"</p>
<p>"Could you?" Liv asked hesitantly, trying to hide the hope in her voice. "I thought you were still banned from visiting Texas?"</p>
<p>"Technically, but since the Magister was killed and the Authority hasn't yet appointed anyone to replace him, the decision to uphold or lift this verdict would fall to Queen Sophie-Anne and King Theodore. And I think they would be willing to grant me an exception."</p>
<p>"Can we tell Sophie-Anne?" Liv asked, though she already knew their answer.</p>
<p>"Liv…" Eric said, his clear blue eyes somehow darker with worry. "I know you think of her as a friend, and I'm sure she's quite fond of you in her own way, but that will mean little when she sees an opportunity to use this to her advantage."</p>
<p>"I love that you always see the best in people, cridiíon imon, and I pray that you will never stop doing so," Godric said when he saw how unhappy she was about Eric's assessment, resting his hand lightly on her back and pressing a kiss into her hair. "But I also hope that you trust us. We've known Sophie-Anne for a very long time and she's as much a creature of ruthlessness and selfishness as the rest of us. I don't think it's safe to share this information with any vampire."</p>
<p>Eric cleared his throat. "I would like to tell Pam, though."</p>
<p>"Of course," Liv agreed immediately, glad to have at least the prospect of one confidant, before she noticed the unhappy furrow that appeared on Godric's face.</p>
<p>"She's loyal. I trust her absolutely," Eric argued, also reading Godric's disapproval.</p>
<p>"She's loyal to you," Godric corrected, raising his hands when Eric made to speak up again. "And that's been more than enough for me in the past, but not when it comes to Liv and our child. Can you promise me that she will not put your safety above theirs?"</p>
<p>"That's enough, from both of you," Liv declared, sending them narrow-eyed looks of disapproval. "It must be exhausting to view everything and everyone with so much suspicion and paranoia. I certainly feel exhausted just listening to you."</p>
<p>"Liv…" Godric started pleadingly.</p>
<p>"I will not start expecting the worst from the people I consider friends and family, Godric. I refuse to do that. Now I understand why you might be wary about the queen; I even get what you said about my aunts. But Pam is family. I trust her and honestly, I would really like to have at least one person beside you two who doesn't think I cheated on you."</p>
<p>"Oh, she wouldn't hold that against you, Liv. She might even be a little impressed," Eric assured her with a smirk. "To tell you the truth, Pam has never really been a fan of monogamy…"</p>
<p>Liv snorted. "That really wasn't my point, Eric."</p>
<p>"Still made you laugh," Eric shot back with a grin. "You needed that."</p>
<p>Liv couldn't argue with that, though she still made sure to give him a roll of the eyes before she focused back on Godric.</p>
<p>"Perhaps I've been a bit overzealous," the older vampire admitted, giving them sheepish looks. "I'm sorry. Of course, we should tell Pam."</p>
<p>"I'll make sure she understands where our priorities lie," Eric assured him with a nod and lightly squeezed Liv around the shoulders.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Eric," Liv said. "Do you want me to tell her?"</p>
<p>"It's probably better if I break the news to her," Eric replied, already moving towards the door. "Have yourself a nice evening. I promise I won't listen in."</p>
<p>He sent them a last smirk and then he was gone with only the faintest echo of the front door closing behind him.</p>
<p>"Are you all right, cridiíon imon?" Godric asked, almost preempting her sigh.</p>
<p>"Do you really think that we have to be so careful and so mistrustful of our friends?" Liv asked, feeling herself relax when Godric's fingers started to run gently through her hair.</p>
<p>"I do," Godric admitted softly. "Liv, the list of things that vampires simply cannot do is a short one – taste real food, walk in daylight… sire children. But believe me, we thirst all the more for the things we cannot have. And there's nothing more deadly than a hungry vampire."</p>
<p>Liv was silent for a moment. "Taste real food?"</p>
<p>Godric grinned a little bashfully. "Perhaps that one is more of a personal yearning, though Eric has also expressed an interest once or twice over the years. I guess I'm just curious. There're so many dishes and flavors that were unknown in my time – spices that must all be so commonplace to you, tomatoes, kiwi, chocolate. I know you quite like that and I would love to better understand why."</p>
<p>"But doesn't your sense of smell give you at least an idea?" Liv asked carefully.</p>
<p>"I like to think so, but honestly I don't know. It's difficult to explain, but smells don't have the same connotations anymore. Blood - and your blood in particular - has the most amazing fragrance, while most other scents are muted and somehow still more pungent than they should be." He shrugged and gave her a smile. "As I said, I'm just curious."</p>
<p>"What happens when you kiss me?" Liv asked, leaning in for a gentle peck to help Godric's memory. "Can you taste that?"</p>
<p>Godric beamed at her and demonstratively licked his lips. "I can always taste you, Liv. And maybe… a hint of chocolate?"</p>
<p>"I think I have an idea… if you're interested? It might get a little messy though," Liv offered, laughing when Godric started to nod almost immediately. "Okay then, we'll need a few things."</p>
<p>v-v</p>
<p>"You look like a mess," Liv judged, not even bothering to try to bite back her wide grin. "But a very tasty one."</p>
<p>"I understand that's the idea?" Godric smiled up at her, inquisitively swirling his finger through the mess of slowly melting ice cream, chocolate sauce and whip cream on his chest before he motioned her with a crook of his fingers. "Come here, Liv."</p>
<p>Liv didn't wait to be asked twice, carefully moving to straddle Godric's hips and then leaning forward to suck his finger into her mouth. Godric groaned appreciatively, his eyes fluttering to half-mast before he managed to focus back on her. "May I ask for a kiss?"</p>
<p>"You may," Liv replied with a grin and sealed their lips together, her eyes fluttering close at the gentle touch of Godric's mouth against hers, his tongue teasingly swiping along the bow of her lips while his hands caressed along her sides.</p>
<p>When they had to break apart Liv wiggled a little, much to Godric's obvious approval, and studied the tableau of Godric's chest, the chocolate and caramel sauce running down between his abdominals and gathering in his navel, the perfect white mountain ridge of whipped cream she had created atop his necklace tattoo, the dollop of boysenberry ice cream she had dropped between his pectorals, the vanilla sauce that zigzagged along his left ribcage and the handful of berries she had sprinkled all over.</p>
<p>Godric shifted a little so that his erection pressed promisingly up through the thin silk scarf and against her lacy panties and Liv felt herself flush at the tangible proof of how much this was affecting both of them. She took another moment, just to enjoy the feeling of Godric's body underneath hers, before she decided to take full advantage of the spread before her. She leaned down and placed a row of nipping kisses along Godric's yaw, down his throat before she started to excavate the little black spearheads of his tattoo with teasing licks and sucking kisses. Godric traced his hands up and down her spine, cupped her face in his hands and pulled her in for another kiss, another taste.</p>
<p>Godric hummed thoughtfully when they had to break apart, licking over his lips and carefully tracing the edge of her lacy slip. "A bit oily, isn't it? I don't know if I liked that. It took away from the taste of you."</p>
<p>Liv smiled in amusement, scooping up the rest of the whip cream and licking it off her fingers. "It's mostly fat, and not very healthy. But it's perfect with a slice of pie or a scoop of ice cream. And I like how it melts in my mouth."</p>
<p>"I like whisking it," Godric confessed. "But I still love kissing you without it better."</p>
<p>"I'm sure that can be arranged." Liv laughed. "And we still have some other flavors to try. If you're interested?"</p>
<p>"Oh, very," Godric assured her with one of his impish grins, picking up a strawberry and offering it to her.</p>
<p>Liv happily leaned forward to bite off the tip, chasing the fresh juices with her tongue when they ran down Godric's fingers.</p>
<p>"Liv…" Godric groaned, pushing up while simultaneously pulling her down. Liv squeaked in surprise, her breathless laugh turning into a just as breathless moan as she allowed herself to sink into the kiss.</p>
<p>She had a moment, but only just, to be grateful for the extra sheets Godric had spread over the bed when he rolled them around, heedless of the sticky mess that dripped from his chest down onto her and onto the bedsheets. She slid her hands around Godric's slim waist and traced his finely sculpted, impossibly strong muscles with her fingers, caressed over the smooth, cool skin of his back.</p>
<p>"Godric," she said and it came out as a happy sigh as she arched up into Godric's soft caress, the nipping kisses he placed along her neck, down her throat, over her breasts.</p>
<p>He kissed her again, lightly stroking along her cheekbones before he shifted back just enough to break skin contact. He then focused on the dollop of ice cream that had landed on her chest, curiously poking at the little mountain and playfully nudging it around the curve of her right breast. Liv trashed underneath him, biting her lip to contain her squeak at the shock of cold to her sensitive skin.</p>
<p>"I think I already like this best, for your reaction to it, cridiíon imon," he whispered, studying her with dark amusement. "Just lovely. Maybe I should get some more ice from downstairs…"</p>
<p>"Don't you dare leave," Liv protested, snatching for Godric's hand and gasping in surprise when Godric used the contact to lean down and suck her left nipple into his mouth, carefully worrying the tender tip between his blunt teeth. "Nghhh…"</p>
<p>Godric chuckled, the echoes vibrating maddeningly through her entire body. She fisted her hands in Godric's hair, not quite sure if she should pull him closer or push him away, and arched her back, giving a muted shout of frustration when Godric had to break the contact. Godric laughed again, teasingly blowing against her nipples and sending another pleasurable shiver through her body.</p>
<p>"Not fair," Liv groaned. "Don't stop."</p>
<p>"If you want me to keep going, you need to touch me again," Godric reminded her, much too reasonably for her current sensibilities, especially as his hand had wandered down between her legs, his fingers rubbing lightly over the small triangle of clothing that covered her sex.</p>
<p>Liv bucked up into him and then pulled Godric down to her for another kiss, felt his smile against her lips, even as Godric's other ministrations demanded more and more of her attention. She threw her head back with a groan, Godric's every touch shivering through her with electrifying intensity.</p>
<p>"Come for me," Godric whispered commandingly in her ear, blowing his cool breath against her neck like a promise. "Let me feel your pleasure, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>"Godric!" Liv almost buckled under the first wave of crashing pleasure, the inexorable, inexplicable force of her orgasm, a myriad of nameless colors flashing before her closed eyelids as Godric masterfully guided her through the storm of her feelings, seeming to know just how to keep her teetering on the edge and how to prolong the rush of endorphins coursing through her body.</p>
<p>When she could focus her eyes again, Godric was smiling fondly at her, caressing her thigh lightly through the thin layer of silk.</p>
<p>"That wasn't the plan," she still admonished him, good-naturedly poking at his flat stomach before she contently curled into the curve of his body. "I wanted to make you feel good. You were supposed to let me take care of you."</p>
<p>"I always enjoy it when I can give you pleasure, Liv," Godric replied with a gentle smile. "This was perfect."</p>
<p>"You didn't even come," Liv argued, gently rubbing her fingers along Godric's abs.</p>
<p>"I will if you continue with that." Godric laughed, carefully catching her hand and breathing the softest kiss against her knuckles. "But that's not what's important. I've had years, centuries to be a selfish lover and I promise you, I'd much rather share these intimate moments with you than to chase my own satisfaction."</p>
<p>Liv sighed, in part glad that Godric was being so honest with her, but in part still a little disappointed that Godric hadn't allowed her to focus on him for once. Godric grinned at her, probably sensing the direction of her thoughts. "I loved your plan, cridiíon imon, not least because I finally have something that Eric hasn't tried yet. I had to wait a thousand years for that, you know?"</p>
<p>Liv shook her head with a fond eye roll, pushing lightly against Godric's shoulder and swinging herself to sit astride his hips again. "If you're still thinking about what you're going to tell Eric about this, I think I really need to step up my game."</p>
<p>She didn't wait for a reply, but instead leaned down to run her tongue from Godric's navel up to his throat, lightly nibbling on the soft skin of his neck and smiling to herself at the low groan that spilled from Godric's throat. She started to move her hips in small, undulating circles.</p>
<p>"Liv…"</p>
<p>"This goes both ways, Godric, and I want to share in your pleasure, too," Liv whispered, leaning down to lick at a particularly stubborn smear of chocolate sauce that, incidentally, was situated right next to Godric's left nipple.</p>
<p>"I won't last long if you keep this up," Godric said again, a pleading whisper, even as he bunched the silk scarf up around her waist and took an almost delicate hold of her hips.</p>
<p>"Good," Liv replied confidently, but quickly snapped her hands away from Godric's chest when she felt the pressure of a vision against her mind.</p>
<p>"Liv?" Godric inquired, of course having noticed the glitch in her enjoyment.</p>
<p>"It's nothing, I just lost track of time for a moment." She took a deep breath and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, I promise, and you still have some catching up to do, love."</p>
<p>Godric laughed softly, lifting up slightly to request a careful kiss and then grasping her hips a little tighter to guide her movements and align them with his own, leading her through a tantalizing grind, a slow, salacious dance of their own creation. She moaned happily, feeling a renewed thrill of pleasure shoot through her as Godric's heavy erection bumped against her most intimate parts, rubbing promisingly against her already wet panties.</p>
<p>"So beautiful," Godric murmured, his voice full of awe and tenderness even as his fingers clutched to her tighter and he sped up his upwards thrusts.</p>
<p>His eyes fluttered closed for just a few moments as he reached his peak, in near silence as always but with his eternally youthful face creased in such an intense expression of rapture, of complete abandon and surrender that it stole her breath away.</p>
<p>Her own pleasure had cooled, quite literally, with the barely lukewarm wash of Godric's come spreading beneath her buttocks, but she watched him with almost avid tenderness, cataloguing every shift in his expression, every twitch of his muscles, his fangs peaking playfully over his bottom lip and his hair messier than usual. It filled her with a sense of wonder and gratitude that Godric allowed himself to be so open, so vulnerable with her, without reserve or restraint. And she loved him all the more for it.</p>
<p>She smiled and rolled off of him, lying down on her side just to look at him for a little while longer. Godric also turned on his side and returned her smile, carefully tucking the covers up around her when he noticed her slight shiver.</p>
<p>"Thank you," she whispered, happily snuggling a little closer. She knew that they would have to get up before long, before the varied mess they had created could seep through to the mattress, but for now she was just too comfortable to care very much.</p>
<p>Godric wrapped his arms around her and gathered her close to his chest, breathing a soft kiss into her hair. "Was this okay for you, Liv?" he asked hesitantly a few minutes later.</p>
<p>"Of course. It was perfect," Liv replied, rousing herself enough to send him a questioning look. "Why would you ask that?"</p>
<p>"I know this wasn't exactly what you wanted," Godric elaborated, tucking a lock of her hair back behind her ear. "You still had to be careful, keep track of time and be watchful of what might trigger a vision. You couldn't relax as fully as you would have wanted, as completely as I would have wished for you. I'm sorry for that, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>"No," Liv protested, lightly caressing Godric's cheek. "No, that's not how I feel at all. I loved this. And I know what I said yesterday, but I was just scared and overwhelmed and I panicked when I thought I would have to go without your touch for the rest of my pregnancy. I know you might see it differently, but to me that's still a long time, you know?"</p>
<p>Godric laughed, leaning into her touch. "So impatient."</p>
<p>"Maybe a little," Liv admitted with a smile of her own. "But I'm happy with our timeline, I promise. And I think, even if we should decide after the first trimester that it would be better to wait a little longer, I'll be okay with that, too. It's like you said: We'll find other ways, and just because we can't touch as freely as we would like, it doesn't mean that we can't feel close to each other, right?"</p>
<p>"That's true," Godric agreed gently, pulling her a little closer as if to underline her point. "I love you, Liv."</p>
<p>"And I love you." Liv replied, lifting up to give Godric a soft kiss. "And I love lying here in your arms, but I think we both need a shower. And we should probably get these sheets in the washer."</p>
<p>"I do feel a bit sticky," Godric admitted with wry amusement, standing next to the bed a moment later and offering her his hand.</p>
<p>He claimed her lips in another carefully demanding kiss, stroking slowly down the valley of her spine before he released her. "Thank you for allowing me this little taste of your world, cridiíon imon. I found it very enjoyable, but nothing tastes as sweet to me as you."</p>
<p>"You old charmer!" Liv shook her head with a fond laugh, returning Godric's carefree grin. "Come on, let's get cleaned up."</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Godric watched her curiously, with almost awed fascination as she poured in detergent, picked the right settings and then switched on the washing machine, the soiled sheets starting to tumble around in the drum a few moments later.</p>
<p>"That'll be done in about two hours and then we can put it in the dryer," Liv said, trying to suppress her yawn.</p>
<p>"Eric can help me with that," Godric replied, gently tucking his arm around her waist. "It's been a long day for you."</p>
<p>"Will you keep me company till I fall asleep?" Liv asked, allowing Godric to lead her downstairs.</p>
<p>"I was planning to read for a bit," Godric answered with a smile. "I'll just get the books from the kitchen, shall I?"</p>
<p>"Would you get my bag as well?" Liv asked, laughing when Godric was already back with her just a few seconds later, carrying the two book bags and her own handbag. "You're amazing."</p>
<p>"So I've been told – by you, repeatedly." Godric sent her an impish grin.</p>
<p>"Hey, don't get cocky now! We already have Eric for that," Liv protested, poking him in the side, but then smiling gently when she noticed the hint of a worried frown forming on Godric's face. "That was a joke, love. I like to see you so self-confident."</p>
<p>That fully restored Godric's smile and they got ready for bed in companionable silence, only exchanging soft looks and fleeting touches. They brushed their teeth before Godric slipped into bed, sitting up against the headboard and putting the books, a notepad and a pen within easy reach. She smiled at the sight and then went to plug in her phone and check her messages. She had missed a call from her aunts and felt a little bad that her reassurance evidently hadn't lasted very long. She quickly typed out a message to suggest a phone call the next day and then replied to her other messages, pausing when she saw a brief, one-word text from Pam.</p>
<p>"Something wrong?" Godric asked.</p>
<p>"Pam says 'congrats'," Liv replied, staring down at her phone with a furrowed brow.</p>
<p>"That's nice of her," Godric offered hesitantly. "Isn't it?"</p>
<p>Liv huffed out a breath and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I'll better call her to make sure she's okay."</p>
<p>She wandered over to the seating area, curling herself up in Eric's enormous armchair as she dialed Pam's number.</p>
<p>"What?" Pam's voice filtered sharply over the line.</p>
<p>"Hey, Pam. I just got your text and -"</p>
<p>"Congratulations, so thrilled, blessed be the fruit of thy womb, blah, blah, blah," Pam said with hardly any inflection. "If that's all?"</p>
<p>"That's not -"</p>
<p>Pam interrupted her again, "Eric commanded me to keep mum about all of it so you don't have to worry that I'll go around spilling your secret like so much cheap liquor."</p>
<p>Liv could hear more than a hint of bitterness in her words and barely suppressed her sigh. "I wish he hadn't done that. I trust you, Pam, I hope you know that."</p>
<p>Pam snorted derisively. "Oh, gee, that takes a load of my mind. Shall we do a pinky swear and exchange friendship bracelets or can I get back to the rest of my night now?"</p>
<p>"Pam… are you okay?"</p>
<p>On the other end of the line, Pam sighed expansively. "I know this must come as a shock to you, Liv, but not everyone has to like you. You already have Godric and Eric to treat you like a fucking princess, so don't expect me to join your fan club right now."</p>
<p>"I hope that was not a threat, Pam," Godric intervened mildly, lightly placing his hand on Liv's shoulder and giving it a supportive squeeze. "And I don't like how you're speaking to Liv."</p>
<p>Liv appreciated the gesture, but still shook her head at him. "Thank you, Godric, but can you please stay out of this?" She waited till Godric had withdrawn to the bed, suppressing a sigh at the thought that she would have another relationship to fix after she had gotten to the bottom of what was bothering Pam.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Pam. And of course you don't have to like me, but if I did or said anything to upset you I would like to know what it is so that I can apologize. Would it be okay if I came over so that we can talk?"</p>
<p>"Don't," Pam snapped over the phone, but then huffed out a long breath. "It'll be sunrise by the time you get here."</p>
<p>"Tomorrow then," Liv replied. "I'll come by at sunset, if that's okay for you?"</p>
<p>"Fine," Pam agreed after a short pause. "But I reserve the right to kick you out if you get too soppy."</p>
<p>"I can live with that," Liv assured her, trying herself on a lighter tone. "Sleep tight, Pam."</p>
<p>The female vampire hung up without a further sendoff, but Liv felt at least slightly better knowing that Pam was willing to talk to her – even if she still wanted her space tonight. She dropped her phone on the coffee table and pushed herself to her feet, hesitantly approaching Godric, who had settled back onto the bed, surrounded by books and an almost palpable cloud of misery.</p>
<p>"I know you don't like it when I defend you," Godric admitted softly and Liv couldn't help but smile despite the situation.</p>
<p>She sat down next to Godric, finding a free spot between two stacks of books, and carefully leaned against his leg. "That's not completely true, love. I appreciate it very much when you protect me from all the things, big and small, that I can't protect myself from. But when it comes to protecting me against words… I still appreciate it, but I don't like what it says about me - that I can't defend myself."</p>
<p>"But you weren't defending yourself. And Pam was deliberately saying mean things to hurt you," Godric protested, lightly resting his hand on her waist.</p>
<p>Liv shook head with a smile. "Like what? That you treat me like a princess? Because I happen to think that was rather sweet."</p>
<p>"That you want everyone to like you."</p>
<p>"It's true, though," Liv admitted softly. "Or at least not entirely wrong. I don't like arguments; I don't like discord and I don't want to say mean or hurtful things to someone – least of all a friend - just for some short-lived, symbolic victory. Not when it's always in the back of my mind that it might be the last thing I ever say to that person. Can you understand that?"</p>
<p>Godric's expression softened in sympathy as he gently pulled her closer and into his lap. "Of course, cridiíon imon, I should have seen that. I'm sorry for butting into your conversation with Pam, but I hope she knows how lucky she is to have you as her friend."</p>
<p>"And you're not angry at me anymore?" Liv asked pleadingly.</p>
<p>"I could never," Godric vowed, breathing the hint of a kiss against her lips. "Because I certainly know how lucky I am."</p>
<p>"And so am I," Liv agreed, leaning in to kiss the corner of Godric's smile before reaching for his hand and leading it to her stomach. "Thank you."</p>
<p>Godric smiled a little wider and then started painting old symbols on her belly, intricate patterns that resembled the tattoos on his arm and maybe were also meant as a sigil for protection, a prayer for strength and health. She could have asked, of course, and Godric would have answered readily, but he seemed so immersed in his work, in this moment of spirituality that she didn't want to disturb him. Instead she just watched him in fond silence and deepened her own breathing, feeling calm and peace settle over her as if already tucking her in for the night – as Godric did a few minutes later.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. D'un matin de printemps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>6. D'un matin de printemps – Lili Boulanger</strong>
</p>
<p>The next morning started just as the last one, with her hastily taking herself to the bathroom and spending an embarrassingly long time bent over the toilet. If this was going to keep up, she would have to calculate a little more time to get ready in the mornings, she decided, winding her hair into a hasty braid before thoroughly brushing her teeth.</p>
<p>She got ready and dressed for work, but then hesitated when she remembered how worried Godric had been about the lack of her usual morning kiss. She still felt a little self-conscious, though, and so settled for caressing her fingers along Godric's cheekbone. She also scribbled a little note - a simple "I love you. You're amazing. I miss your kisses." - carefully folded the piece of paper and slipped it into the loose curl of his fingers. She smiled and gently touched Godric's cheek again before she had to hurry to be on time for work.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>The day was not quite as stressful as the one before, with only one minor emergency to interrupt the usual flow of scheduled appointments and smaller ailments. In the early afternoon, when there were no more appointments and no walk-in patients, Patricia went down to the lab to mix some of their specialized salves and medicines. Usually, Liv would have been down there with her to learn more about the different procedures and recipes, but after only a few minutes Patricia had sent her back upstairs when she had noticed how green Liv was around the nose. So instead, Liv did an inventory of their supplies and made a list of all the materials that needed restocking, keeping half an ear out for the door.</p>
<p>Still, she startled when someone suddenly cleared their throat, seemingly right next to her.</p>
<p>"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Debbie raised her hands and took a hasty step back.</p>
<p>"Hi, no, it's fine," Liv tried to assure her while simultaneously calming her jackrabbiting heart, smiling slightly. "I'm a bit jumpy sometimes, but really I should be used to it… What can we do for you? Is everything okay with Alcide?"</p>
<p>"Oh, yes, he's fine. No pain or anything and his temperature is back to normal as well," Debbie answered, nervously running her fingers through her long blond hair.</p>
<p>"I'm glad to hear that," Liv said and paused to give Debbie a chance to gather her nerves and tell her the reason for her coming.</p>
<p>"I'm not here as a patient," Debbie finally offered, sending her a strangely pleading look. "I just… I wanted to ask if we could have lunch together? Or just a coffee. And I know you're working so if now is a bad time, I can come back later. Or tomorrow. Or whenever is good for you."</p>
<p>"Lunch actually sounds good," Liv replied gently, taking her chance when Debbie had to pause for breath. "Let me just check with Patricia…"</p>
<p>"Go!" Patricia called from downstairs, demonstrating a quite astounding lung capacity for a person her size. "I'll call if we get a patient."</p>
<p>"Thank you!" Liv called back, hoping that her own voice was strong enough to reach the basement.</p>
<p>She smiled at Debbie, who, if possible seemed to have gotten even more nervous after Liv's easy acceptance, locked the computer and gathered her bag and jacket.</p>
<p>"I brought sandwiches from home, but I wouldn't mind walking a few steps and there's a little park not far from here. There's also a hotdog stand if you're not in the mood for chicken sandwiches," Liv offered. "Would that be okay for you?"</p>
<p>"Sure," Debbie agreed with a jerky nod, striding out with her long legs but then slowing her steps and giving Liv a sheepish look. "Thank you for agreeing to this… and for offering to share your lunch."</p>
<p>Liv laughed. "I'm glad you thought of it and it's no trouble, really. Godric always packs too much for me and I know he's secretly disappointed if I don't finish it all."</p>
<p>"He packs you lunch?" Debbie asked, sounding a little faint.</p>
<p>"Oh, he's a very good cook, I promise," Liv assured her, thinking that the werewolf might have a bit of skepticism in regard to vampire cooking skills. "There's a small picnic area just up ahead if we turn left here."</p>
<p>The park was mostly deserted at this time of day, though they had passed a couple of joggers on the way and near the picnic area an elderly women was sitting on one of the park benches, watching her small terrier scamper around on the grass. Debbie picked the table farthest away from her and then started to fiddle nervously with her hands while Liv unpacked the food.</p>
<p>"Thank you," Debbie mumbled, reaching for a sandwich and finishing it in about three bites while Liv was still in the process of unwrapping hers.</p>
<p>"Do you want another?" she asked in amusement, offering Debbie the lunchbox again. "Go on. As I said I won't be able to eat all this anyway."</p>
<p>"You're eating for two," Debbie pointed out hesitantly, taking a deep breath. "I heard what you said to Alcide yesterday."</p>
<p>"I shouldn't have involved myself," Liv replied apologetically. "And I'm sorry if what I said upset you."</p>
<p>"No, that's not…" Debbie huffed in frustration. "I wanted to say thank you. For as long as we've been arguing about this, I never felt like Alcide was trying to see things from my perspective. But what you said… he even apologized."</p>
<p>"I hope you two can work things out," Liv replied, pushing the lunchbox once more in Debbie's direction.</p>
<p>"I was hoping you might have some advice?" the other woman asked hopefully, finally taking another sandwich. "We just moved here and I don't know anyone beside Alcide, and you and Godric seem so perfect and…"</p>
<p>"I'm not sure about 'perfect' – but we're happy," Liv said with a soft smile at the thought of her vampire. "And I don't know if I can offer you advice, but I'd be happy to lend a sympathetic ear."</p>
<p>Debbie nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. For a few minutes afterwards, they munched on their respective sandwiches in silence before the werewolf spoke up again.</p>
<p>"I was so happy when Alcide said that we could try again and I was all for it when he suggested moving here, a fresh start for both of us, you know? And he's been really great with my recovery – I don't know if he's told you about that?"</p>
<p>"I think Eric mentioned it," Liv said.</p>
<p>Debbie grimaced. "I guess he wasn't too thrilled about having a former V-addict in his area, especially someone who worked for that creep Edgington. But Alcide already had some business in this area so it made sense to come here… and I think I've been doing well with my sobriety. I really want to clean up my act this time and get my life back on track, you know?"</p>
<p>"That's good," Liv told her with an encouraging smile.</p>
<p>"Yeah," Debbie agreed, then sighed. "I just thought it'd be different this time… When we first got together we were both still so young and then his dad got kicked out of the pack for stealing money and basically betraying everything he ever taught us. And after that, Alcide started running away at even the mention of pack or family until it felt like he was running away from me, too."</p>
<p>"It sounds like he had a lot to deal with," Liv offered.</p>
<p>"I know, and I wasn't in the best place, either," Debbie replied softly before taking a deep breath. "But as I said, we've made a fresh start and we've really been trying to be open and honest with each other – only that now it seems like we're arguing all the time and getting nowhere with it."</p>
<p>"About having children?" Liv asked, offering Debbie a second container, this one filled with chocolate and hazelnut cookies.</p>
<p>Debbie nodded and sighed again. "He likes being a lone wolf; he's happy like this and whenever I bring it up, he says that I'm the only pack he needs, which sounds sweet in theory, but it just makes me mad because… because…"</p>
<p>"You feel on the defensive," Liv offered softly, feeling a frisson of unease when she noticed that Debbie's eyes had flashed a warning yellow for the briefest second. "As if you have to justify yourself for feeling differently."</p>
<p>"Yes, exactly!" Debbie exclaimed, huffing out a long breath a moment later. "And I know I've made mistakes and that we still have a ways to go to rebuild our relationship, our trust in each other, but I just want to know that we're going in the same direction, you know? That we have a future together."</p>
<p>Liv hummed in agreement, wordlessly offering Debbie another cookie.</p>
<p>"But how can we have that when we imagine it so differently? I love Alcide. I know that he's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. But I also know that I want a family and that I don't like living without a pack."</p>
<p>"Have you lived without a pack before?" Liv asked carefully.</p>
<p>"When Alcide's father was kicked out of the pack, Alcide kind of… not officially… but he withdrew and I followed," Debbie explained, shaking her head. "He was my whole world and when we broke up, I had nothing."</p>
<p>"That must have been hard."</p>
<p>"It was hell," Debbie gave back, bowing her back and twisting her hands together. "I've never felt so lost, so alone. I was constantly afraid. When Cooter found me, I was just grateful, so pathetically grateful. He could have been the worst kind of asshole or involved in even more shady business and I wouldn't have cared because he offered me the chance to be part of a pack again… I don't know if you can understand that. You're not a werewolf."</p>
<p>"I think you explained it rather well," Liv replied encouragingly. "And I do understand how important it is to have a safety net, be that in the form of family or friends or pack."</p>
<p>"A safety net, yes, somewhere to belong, people that remind you who you are when you start to doubt yourself," Debbie said. "That's pack, at least to me. And I know that Alcide has reasons to think differently and I respect that, but I still want… I need to feel whole again. So what do I do? How do I explain that to Alcide without losing him?"</p>
<p>Debbie gave her a beseeching, desperate look, pleading for answers that Liv didn't have. She reached out and lightly rested her hand on Debbie's sleeve.</p>
<p>"I don't know," she admitted. "But I think you will have to find a way and be as honest with him as you've just been with me. And maybe he will surprise you."</p>
<p>"Like Godric did with you?" Debbie asked.</p>
<p>Liv laughed, slowly starting to pack their things back together as she answered, "Oh, definitely. Honestly, I always expected that there would be more disagreements and misunderstandings between us just because our worlds are so different. But I actually think that's been our strength. We both accept that we might see things very differently from time to time and that we won't have the same frame of reference – so we try to be open with each other and take the time to see where the other is coming from. Plus, Godric's probably the most understanding and tolerant person I know and he's very good at making me talk about things I would normally keep bottled up."</p>
<p>"And when you told him about your pregnancy?" Debbie pressed.</p>
<p>"He already knew," Liv replied with another laugh, hoping it would mask her nervousness. "And he's just been fantastic. I think he's truly happy."</p>
<p>Debbie groaned. "I doubt Alcide will be when I try to talk to him about this again. And what then? I don't want to lose him, but I don't know if I can keep living without family, without pack. Not even for Alcide."</p>
<p>"You shouldn't have to," Liv said as Debbie gathered up the food containers. "But I also think that having a child is a decision that deserves to be made for the right reasons… and not because you think it might fix things between you and Alcide. And Debbie, there's more than one kind of family, and I'm guessing that's true for pack as well. So maybe you can find one that works for both of you – where neither of you has to feel that they're sacrificing their happiness for the other - because I don't think that would be a healthy relationship."</p>
<p>Debbie seemed lost in thought as they slowly wandered back towards the entrance of the park and Liv allowed the silence to grow, unsure if her words had been enough or what else she could say to soothe Debbie's concerns.</p>
<p>"Would it be okay if I came to visit you again sometime?" Debbie finally asked when they had already reached the small parking lot in front of the doctor's office.</p>
<p>"I'd like that. Let me give you my number," Liv agreed readily, motioning for Debbie to put the food containers on the counter while she quickly scribbled her number on a note pad. After a brief hesitation, she added two more lines. "Here you go. I also wrote down the information for a local addiction support group."</p>
<p>"Thanks," Debbie murmured. "I thought about that before, but I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to share, what with me being a werewolf and all…"</p>
<p>"You might have to leave out some of the specific details, but I think it'd be good for you to talk to others who've made similar experiences and who might be struggling with many of the same problems," Liv said encouragingly. "Just think about it."</p>
<p>"I will," Debbie promised, giving her a small, grateful smile as she pocketed the number and started inching towards the door. "Thank you."</p>
<p>She was out of the door before Liv could reply, leaving Liv slightly bemused at her abrupt departure and, if she was being honest, at the entire episode. She sighed and then shook herself out of her thoughts, quickly putting away her things before she went in search of Patricia.</p>
<p>She found the small doctor still in their basement lab, brewing something that smelled a mixture of lavender and benzine, the beaker spewing an ominous red fume that made Liv stop a good distance away.</p>
<p>"I'm back," she called.</p>
<p>"I can see that," Patricia retorted gruffly, glancing only briefly over her shoulder. "Stay there. The fumes can be quite noxious for humans. How was your lunch?"</p>
<p>"It was nice… or well, perhaps interesting would be a better word. I think Debbie just needed someone to talk to," Liv replied. "Though I'm a bit surprised she chose to confide in me."</p>
<p>"I'm not," Patricia gave back dryly, casting her a slightly exasperated look. "Werewolves are social creatures – Mr. Herveaux's rather uncharacteristic tendency towards hermitism notwithstanding – and you proved yourself worthy to her by taking care of her mate. I suppose I don't have to explain to you why she picked you over me?"</p>
<p>"I feel like that's a trick question," Liv answered good-naturedly. "Do you need me down here? Otherwise I'm going to order new material. We're almost out of gauze bandages and a few other things."</p>
<p>"Do that. This isn't anything you could help me with in your current condition," Patricia answered, her attention already back on whatever she was mixing up.</p>
<p>"Will that be a problem?" Liv still asked hesitantly. "I know there will be some limitations, but I want to continue working during my pregnancy."</p>
<p>"Good, I'd hate to waste time having to train another assistant," Patricia told her gruffly. "We will closely monitor your health, of course, and I'm sure I can expect you to be mindful and honest about any concerns or complications that might arise so that we can adjust your workload accordingly."</p>
<p>"Yes, of course." Liv breathed out a quiet sigh of relief and smiled at her boss. "Thank you, Patricia."</p>
<p>Patricia's only reply was a grumpy sigh and a negligent, shooing hand wave over her shoulder. Liv turned away to hide her smile and went back upstairs and back to work.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Liv softly knocked on the door, doing her best to push back any memories that wanted to spring forth. There was no trace of what had happened here, no smudge on the concrete, no glass shards in the minimalistic flower beds or cracks in the wall. Just her memories overlaying reality.</p>
<p>Pam opened the door in a fashionable, magenta-colored dress with a geometrical neckline that would have been more fitting for a gallery opening than for a quiet evening at home, arching an expectant eyebrow and casting Liv an assessing look. "So you came. Alone. Where's your bodyguard?"</p>
<p>"Godric's with Eric. I think they wanted to do some gardening." There had been a thunderstorm a few nights past that had wreaked considerable damage on the park-like garden that surrounded their home, flooding some of the pathways and even uprooting one of the old hickory trees. Godric had been very upset by that and Liv knew that he wanted to try and replant the tree to save it.</p>
<p>Pam snorted. "Gardening, right."</p>
<p>Liv furrowed her brow, not quite sure what Pam was insinuating, but then decided to focus on the matter at hand. "May I come in?"</p>
<p>"I don't suppose you'll go away," Pam answered with a long-suffering sigh, taking a small step aside.</p>
<p>"I will if you want me to," Liv replied, hesitating on the threshold. "I really don't want to bother you. I'd just like to understand."</p>
<p>Pam snorted. "Stop being so fucking agreeable and come in already."</p>
<p>She waved Liv inside and they settled in the living room. Here, too, the broken furniture had been replaced or repaired and all decorations, books and miscellaneous objects had been placed back in order. As if nothing bad had ever happened here. Liv wished she could relegate her memories as firmly to the past as Pam had done with the traces of their showdown with Russell Edgington.</p>
<p>"Will you tell me why you're so upset about my pregnancy?" she asked carefully after she had focused for a few moments on her breathing.</p>
<p>"Terrific first question," Pam commented, inspecting her nails. "And I'm sure a clever girl like you already thought of an answer. So why don't we just go with that so that I can go back to my original plans for the night, which, I assure, were going to be a lot more fun."</p>
<p>"I don't want to presume, Pam," Liv gave back softly. "And if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. But I don't think I deserve your hostility – or if I do, I'd at least like to have an explanation."</p>
<p>"God, it's like kicking puppies with you," Pam groused, "Fun in theory, but once you get down to it the entertainment value doesn't offset the nuisance of all those squeaks and wounded looks."</p>
<p>Liv grimaced, which at least seemed to amuse Pam briefly. Theirs was an unlikely friendship and though Liv was reasonably sure that Pam liked her, at least a little bit, she also realized that they were very different and that their natural dispositions were not exactly compatible. Liv would probably never feel comfortable with Pam's interpretation of a good time and their moral values lay as far apart as dusk and dawn. Even though, Liv still found much to admire about the other woman – her strength and tenacity, her wit and clear-headedness – and despite their many difference, they also had things in common - their love and loyalty to the two men in their lives first and foremost.</p>
<p>"Don't look at me like that, Liv," Pam finally said, throwing her a testy glare. "I'm not some desperate woman, resentful of the fact that she can never have children. It's a decision we all made a long time ago. Or so I thought."</p>
<p>"I don't think Godric had much of a choice in that," Liv pointed out carefully.</p>
<p>Pam snorted derisively, waving her objection away. "He's had more than enough time to get used to it."</p>
<p>"Since when are you a stickler for following the rules?" Liv asked softly. "None of us even guessed that something like this might be possible."</p>
<p>"Don't be naïve. His heart started beating again. You can't tell me that just slipped his notice," Pam snapped. "But that's not the point. Do you have any idea how fucking dangerous this is?"</p>
<p>"I'm beginning to understand that, yes," Liv replied. "And Godric and Eric are very aware of it as well."</p>
<p>Pam snorted. "You mean when they're not too busy basking in this supposed miracle? Well, that's a relief. So glad we settled that."</p>
<p>"Pam, I think I'm scared enough as it is," Liv pleaded. "And I already agreed to keep this a secret, even from my aunts if you think it necessary."</p>
<p>"And how are you going to accomplish that?" Pam demanded. "You're a laughably bad liar and even if that miraculously changed, what are you going to say when people start asking questions? No one will believe that you squeezed in an affair between your usual displays of fang-rotting affection with Godric - least of all when they see how touch-shy you get around other people."</p>
<p>Liv closed her eyes, marveling for a moment at Pam's inimitable talent to imbue something that could have been a compliment with so much scorn. But of course Pam had a point and in truth, she had been worried about the same thing - at least before she had allowed herself to be distracted by other matters.</p>
<p>She sighed and lightly touched the necklace Godric had given her for Christmas. "I don't know, Pam."</p>
<p>"And <strong>that's</strong> what's pissing me off," Pam concluded, clacking her nails loudly on the coffee table. "Eric can order me to keep your secret, but that won't matter when people start to notice your condition and we can't provide them with a plausible explanation."</p>
<p>"I get that," Liv admitted softly. "And I never want to put you - any of you - in danger. But is there an explanation we can offer? It's a rather implausible situation."</p>
<p>Pam muttered something underneath her breath and Liv gave her a questioning look. "I said: You're implausible."</p>
<p>Liv laughed, shaking her head with a soft grin. "I think most people would say that vampires are implausible, too, Pam."</p>
<p>Pam inclined her head minutely with the hint of a smirk around her full lips.</p>
<p>They sat for a few moments in silence before Pam spoke up again, her words uncharacteristically cautious, "You could say that you were raped."</p>
<p>"No," Liv protested, feeling sick at just the thought. "I don't want my child to grow up with that stigma."</p>
<p>"But you do want your child to grow up, don't you?" Pam demanded sharply.</p>
<p>Liv closed her eyes for a second, curling her legs up to her chest. "Of course I do, but that's a horrible thing to lie about and even if I agreed, it wouldn't be convincing."</p>
<p>"But that's why it's perfect," Pam insisted. "Everyone would understand that you don't want to talk about it. We could even say that Godric glamoured you to help you to forget the traumatic details."</p>
<p>"I said no, Pam," Liv reiterated a little more firmly. "That's wrong on so many levels. It would set a terrible example for all the vampires who look up to Godric and it wouldn't even work: You said that no one would believe that I cheated on Godric because we're too affectionate with each other – well, they wouldn't believe this for the same reason."</p>
<p>"But you're only comfortable with him and Eric, shying away from everyone else," Pam reasoned.</p>
<p>"And I've always been like that, even back in Dallas," Liv pointed out, sending Pam a pleading look. "Can we please just try to think of something else?"</p>
<p>"I'm happy to hear your suggestions," Pam gave back tartly. "Tell me what explanation we can give without offending your tender sensibilities."</p>
<p>Liv sighed, ignoring Pam's biting tone and trying to order her thoughts. "Maybe artificial insemination? It was my first thought, but the sperm banks and fertility clinics I found online all have strict anti-vampire policies…"</p>
<p>"When would you have had to start those treatments?" Pam demanded, leaning forward slightly.</p>
<p>Liv lightly shook her head. "Treatments are only necessary if either partner is struggling with infertility, but I think in our case a sperm donor would have been the best option. And that's a rather straight-forward process. It's even possible to do the insemination at home once you've purchased the sperm."</p>
<p>"And your only issue with this explanation is that these sperm banks refuse to cater to vampires?" Pam demanded skeptically, snorting when Liv gave a hesitant nod. "You do realize that there're several ways around that – glamouring, vampire speed, even good old-fashioned bribery if you prefer a more human approach."</p>
<p>"I didn't think of that," Liv admitted, feeling a little foolish.</p>
<p>"Fuck, it must be so neat and tidy inside your mind, not a speck of dust or shade of grey in sight," Pam commented with an expressive eye roll.</p>
<p>"I wish," Liv replied with a self-deprecating laugh. "But that's good, isn't it? It's entirely plausible, though I still don't know if I can sell anyone on that explanation..."</p>
<p>Pam waved her hand dismissively. "We can work on that, but I doubt any vampire will care much about the specific details as long as we don't give them an opening."</p>
<p>Liv nodded in agreement and then asked, "So now that we have a solution, are you at least a little bit happy for us?"</p>
<p>"I suppose I'll be able to tolerate it," Pam replied with apparent disinterest, getting up from her seat before throwing Liv a look. "Just don't expect me to babysit."</p>
<p>She glared at Liv for good measure, only seeming satisfied when Liv bit back her smile and nodded earnestly. "I promise. Thank you, Pam."</p>
<p>"Spare me the details," Pam waved her off, smoothing down her dress. "We still need to convince Eric and Godric. And I will not be amused if they refuse to listen to us - again."</p>
<p>"I'm sure it will be fine," Liv replied optimistically. "It's a good explanation and you're right that we do need one. Are they still at home?"</p>
<p>Pam shook her head. "Eric called a meeting for 10 – not about this, of course, just the usual boring business."</p>
<p>"It probably still wouldn't be a good idea for me to show up there," Liv said, thinking how quickly Alcide and Debbie had noticed her condition the other day.</p>
<p>"I'll fill them in and you can discuss the details with them later," Pam declared.</p>
<p>"Okay, but it would be best not to talk about this at Fangtasia. I think Sophie-Anne might have bugged Eric's office again," Liv said, getting up as well and following Pam to the door.</p>
<p>"We know. Eric found those bugs weeks ago," Pam said, her lips twisting into a devilish smirk. "We've been putting on little shows for her. I hope she enjoyed them – I certainly did."</p>
<p>Liv almost rolled her eyes. "That's great, but the queen knows that you know so will you please find somewhere else to tell them about our plan?"</p>
<p>"She knows? Since when?" Pam demanded.</p>
<p>"I don't know, Pam. She just made an offhand comment in our last phone call and maybe I misunderstood, but in this case, I'd really rather be safe than sorry."</p>
<p>Pam huffed, but then seemed to resign herself to the fact that Liv wasn't able, or truth be told willing, to provide her with any more information. They stepped outside into the cool spring evening air and Pam even accompanied her the few steps to her car before speeding off into the night.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Liv woke softly, slowly drifting up from a dream, and sighed happily at the gentle fingers combing through her hair. "Godric."</p>
<p>"Did I wake you, cridiíon imon?" the vampire asked in a hushed tone.</p>
<p>"No," Liv assured him with a smile, sitting up and then snuggling into Godric's side again, noticing the many books spread over the covers and the sheet of paper in Godric's hand. "Are you okay with this?"</p>
<p>"It seems very strange to me," Godric admitted, carefully putting down the flyer for a fertility clinic Liv remembered from her online research. "And I'm not sure I understand all of it. But I like that we could have done this together, that we would have decided to do this because we both wished for a child."</p>
<p>"I like that thought as well," Liv replied, reaching out to intertwine their hands.</p>
<p>"I'm happy if this is what you want to tell people," Godric said, pressing a kiss into her hair. "You can explain it to me, and we will figure out all the details – and we will always safeguard the truth in our hearts."</p>
<p>"That sounds perfect," Liv agreed, resting her cheek against Godric's chest. "You already went to visit the clinic?"</p>
<p>"Eric found the information on his phone. It's not very far from here and we thought it would give us a better idea of this procedure," Godric explained, gently caressing her arm. "We asked one of the janitors to let us in and looked around for a little while, but it did not seem like a place where babies are made…"</p>
<p>He trailed off questioningly and Liv wondered with some amusement what he had expected to find - maybe a factory with workers manufacturing babies on an assembly line or a greenhouse where baby saplings were grown and watered regularly. Godric poked her gently in the arm.</p>
<p>"Are you laughing at me for my ignorance, cridiíon imon?" he asked with an infectious grin.</p>
<p>"I would never," Liv promised, breathing a light kiss against his lips and caressing Godric's cheek. "Just enjoying my own imagination. I hope you won't begrudge me that."</p>
<p>"Never," Godric promised with another grin, gently sealing their lips together, gathering her in his arms and listening attentively as she outlined what they would have had to do to conceive a baby this way.</p>
<p>"Okay," Godric agreed when she had finished, nodding to himself. "And this wouldn't have been painful or dangerous for you?"</p>
<p>"No," Liv assured him with a smile. "There's a slight risk of an infection, but I think we could have managed that just fine. And you wouldn't have hurt me."</p>
<p>Godric nodded again, breathing a kiss against her cheek to show his gratitude before sighing softly. "I'm sorry I made you feel like we weren't trying to think of an explanation and a way to keep you and the baby safe, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>"I didn't feel like that," Liv reassured him. "But I think Pam was maybe a little worried…"</p>
<p>"And very disgruntled. Yes, she expressed that quite vociferously to us," Godric admitted. "I do understand her point and I regret that we gave her that impression. Eric and I were trying to think of a solution, trying to find something we could tell people that would be plausible and yet not…"</p>
<p>"Not that I cheated on you?" Liv offered quietly. "I wouldn't have minded if that was what it took, but Pam seemed to think it wouldn't be very believable…"</p>
<p>"She's right," Godric agreed, offering her his hand and lightly squeezing her fingers when she slipped them into his. "We thought it might become necessary to glamour someone into claiming to be the father to disperse suspicion." He sighed, probably noticing her grimace. "I know, cridiíon imon, the idea was distasteful to me as well, but I would have been glad to do it if it had kept you safe."</p>
<p>Liv sighed, softly kissing Godric's cheek. "I know that, love, and we do have another solution now. I just wish this could all be a little less complicated. I think a part of me was still counting on Eric to tell us that we worry too much."</p>
<p>Godric chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be happy to tell us that on many other occasions."</p>
<p>Liv smiled, resting her cheek against Godric's chest and closing her eyes.</p>
<p>"Go to sleep, my love," Godric murmured, carefully bedding her back down onto the sheets. "You've had a long few days and I'm sorry you've been sick so much lately."</p>
<p>Liv shrugged, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's mostly been in the mornings and that's not too bad. I'm just sorry that I can't leave you with a kiss. Did you find my note?"</p>
<p>"I did," Godric assured her, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Eric's been teasing me all night because I wouldn't let go of it. But it's a heady feeling to be the man you love, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>"And don't you forget it," Liv admonished him teasingly, leaning up for a proper kiss. "Good night, love."</p>
<p>"Good night, cridiíon imon."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Erindringens Sø</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <i>Parts of the dialogue from this chapter were taken from the episodes 4x02 "You Smell Like Dinner" and 4x03 "If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin'?" of the TV show. I might have put it into a slightly different context or tweaked it a little to fit my story, but just assume that anything that sounds familiar is from the show.</i>
  <br/>
  <i>Also, there's a tiny passage where Liv tries to communicate with Eric in his mother tongue, i.e. Old Norse/Swedish. I apologize for any mistakes in that.</i>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>7. Erindringens Sø – Op. 10 – Carl Nielsen</strong>
</p>
<p>Over the next few weeks, things settled down into a kind of normalcy again and the first trimester of her pregnancy passed quietly and with little fanfare, only her stomach providing for some rather unwelcome ups and downs though Godric was forever patient and enthusiastic in finding dishes that would whet her appetite and still be easy on her stomach. And in fact, Godric's joy seemed to double and quadruple with every day that passed and even more so when Patricia declared that she was now officially in her second trimester and that all in all everything seemed to be progressing nicely and as expected.</p>
<p>Even the conversation with her aunts, which she had dreaded and looked forward to in equal measures, had gone surprisingly well when Godric and Liv had visited them the weekend after her checkup. She'd tried to reassure them over the phone and her aunts had been at least mostly appeased by the return of her good spirits, but they had still had questions. Questions that Liv just couldn't answer. She'd left it to Godric to tell her aunts their official story, not even slightly surprised when Beth and Iris reacted with open skepticism.</p>
<p>"I call bullshit," Iris had declared, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Godric, particularly when he seemed a little bewildered by her turn of phrase.</p>
<p>"I think what Iris means to say is that we don't quite understand why Liv wouldn't have told us about your plans earlier. Or why she would have been so upset that Eric felt the need to call us in the middle of the day," Beth had offered a little more diplomatically. "Liv, I hope you know that you can always talk to us."</p>
<p>"I know that," Liv had pleaded. "Of course, I know. And I want to, but…"</p>
<p>"I asked her not to do so in this case," Godric had finished for her, squeezing her arm in reassurance. "Just as I would now ask you to trust us and to accept this explanation."</p>
<p>"May we ask why?" Beth had asked, shushing Iris, who had drawn breath for a less tactful retort.</p>
<p>"The truth can be a dangerous thing," Godric had offered apologetically. "You've raised Liv as your daughter and guarded the knowledge of her abilities for as long as you have known her so I'm sure you understand that some things need to be kept secret."</p>
<p>"Of course we understand that, but not from us!" Iris had protested angrily. "Or do you agree with this, Liv?"</p>
<p>"I don't know, but I see how worried they are and I trust Godric," Liv had said, reaching out to her aunts and placing a hand each on their arms. "Please, can you trust me? Can you trust me that I'm happy?"</p>
<p>"Of course, honey. Every child is a miracle, whether it was conceived by artificial insemination or in some other way – you certainly were when you came into our lives. We don't need to know the exact details to see how happy you are," Beth had assured her before exchanging a long look with Iris, who had finally sighed and also given a grudging nod. "Fine, but only because you're my favorite niece."</p>
<p>"I thought she was your only niece?" Godric had asked with a confused frown, which had changed into a bemused little smile a moment later when they had laughed.</p>
<p>And that had been that. Liv knew that her aunts were still curious, but they had accepted Godric's vague explanation and her own pleas and had instead focused on celebrating the happy news and enjoying the chance to spend a few almost carefree days together.</p>
<p>So all in all, everything was going well and though her morning sickness hadn't eased up yet, Liv was at least hopeful that she would start to feel better soon and be able to put on the necessary weight for her and the baby. She knew that Godric had been worried about that, despite her repeated assurances that the baby wasn't larger than a peapod at this stage and that she would still have enough time to start eating for two in the coming weeks. She found both his concern and his enthusiasm rather endearing, to be honest, also because Godric was very good at recognizing when he was overwhelming her with either and shifting down a gear.</p>
<p>Eric was a slightly different story. He had updated their security system to include several panic buttons on every floor, read all of Godric's pregnancy books with the same avid interest (she'd found his notes in the margins) and when he was home he was just as attentive as Godric, protective and almost sweet, though of course always carefully masked by a veil of irony and teasing. So she should have been happy, if it hadn't been for the fact that Eric had spent the first few weeks avoiding her – or not avoiding her so much as giving her space when she didn't particularly feel like that's what she wanted and definitely not what she had asked for. And he hadn't even been very subtle about it, spending more and more time at his club or just somewhere else that wasn't home, entire nights passing by where she didn't see hide nor hair of him and only knew that he had returned because she found him fast asleep next to them in the morning.</p>
<p>She'd tried to talk to him, but of course that had gone about as well as she had expected, with Eric's steadfastly refusing to acknowledge that anything might be wrong, teasing her mercilessly for missing him and offering up a number of all too reasonable excuses and deflections until she had given up and instead just pulled the surprised vampire into a hug. "I want you to be a part of this, Eric, whenever you're ready."</p>
<p>Eric had sighed, his strong arms closing gently around her. "You worry too much. And about all the wrong things."</p>
<p>"Oh?"</p>
<p>"You should be focused on yourself, on your baby, on your family. Not on me," Eric had replied.</p>
<p>"You're part of my family," Liv had answered rather sharply. "And if you want me to give you your space and stop bothering you, I will, but I won't have you thinking that you're not. And yes, I do miss you."</p>
<p>"What a strange family we are," Eric had given back after a short silence, lightly tugging on her braid as he swirled away from her. "Come on then. Godric's almost finished with your dinner and if you want me to spend the night with you, you'd better think of something to entertain me."</p>
<p>Liv had laughed, beaming up at Eric when he had allowed her to catch up to him on the stairs. "I'm sure we can think of something."</p>
<p>"I'm always up for strip poker, if you're looking for suggestions," Eric had offered with a waggle of his eyebrows.</p>
<p>"Something with clothes," Liv had replied with a fond eye roll at Eric's exaggerated sigh of disappointment.</p>
<p>They had ended up trying to teach Godric how to play video games on Eric's new gaming system, though Liv had fallen asleep on the couch before the older vampire had made any significant progress. When she had woken up the next morning, she had been snuggled safely between the two vampires and Eric had left her a slew of text messages, each one sillier than the next. He had never come out and admitted what had been bothering him, at least not to her, but he had stopped distancing himself, had come with them to all of her check-ups and on the whole seemed just as excited about the entire affair as Godric.</p>
<p>v—-v</p>
<p>Liv discreetly put one hand on her middle, hoping to offer her baby some additional support as they jolted along the pockmarked road in Sookie's yellow Honda, trying to focus on Sookie's story to distract herself from the rising nausea.</p>
<p>"… and then we were suddenly in the middle of a civil war, running for our lives while the fairies were shooting light from their hands," Sookie was saying, tapping her fingers on the stirring wheel in agitation. "Claude dragged us up a cliff, to this huge, fathomless chasm, and said we needed to jump if we wanted to escape, but that only I could go because my granddaddy had eaten from the light fruit. But then the fairy queen caught up to us and threatened to close the portal and granddaddy Earl grabbed me by the hand and jumped with me…"</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Sookie," Liv murmured, having already heard that Sookie's grandfather had died shortly after their return to the real world.</p>
<p>She'd only learned of Sookie's return two nights earlier when Bill had called Eric, grudgingly she assumed, to inform his sheriff of said matter. He hadn't been very forthcoming with the details and even if he had been, Liv wouldn't have necessarily trusted his word. So today, after work, she had made the trip to Bon Temps only to find Sookie just heading out for her first shift at Merlotte's, already a bit frazzled and stressed because apparently her boss hadn't been all too pleased with her unannounced absence and had threatened to fire her if she skipped out on him again. Sookie had looked as if she could use a friendly face to get her through the evening and since both Godric and Eric were busy with vampire business, Liv had accompanied her to the bar, chatting with Sookie when she had a few minutes but mostly quietly reading in one of the corner booths until Sookie had finished her shift.</p>
<p>"It's so strange. He'd been gone for 20 years, but he looked as if he hadn't aged a day and to him it felt like only a couple of hours had passed," Sookie whispered. "It feels like that for me as well, and yet I've been missing for more than four months. How can that be?"</p>
<p>"The way you described it, it sounded like a dream turning into a nightmare. And in dreams time often stretches or contracts, regardless of what clocks would dictate," Liv offered, thinking of how her visions often spanned hours, jumped years and centuries and yet only ever held her captive for a few scarce minutes in reality. "Besides, I don't know if you can apply logic when we're talking about you travelling between dimensions to the land of the fairies."</p>
<p>"You're probably right," Sookie admitted with a frustrated huff. "It's almost funny. There I was, just having decided that I wanted less supernatural craziness in my life and instead of heeding my own advice I let my fairy godmother abduct me… Claudine was right, I'm not exactly 'Miss Trouble-Free', am I?"</p>
<p>Liv chuckled and they exchanged smiles before Sookie sighed again. "I still don't know what to do about that, about Bill, I mean. He showed up as soon as the sun had set, happy as all get out, and when Andy laid into me for worrying everyone and wasting police resources and what not, Bill stepped up for me, told them that I'd been working for him, helping with some vampire business."</p>
<p>"That was nice of him," Liv agreed a little cautiously.</p>
<p>Sookie threw her a quick look, rolling her eyes. "I know you don't like him, Liv, you won't hurt my feelings if you say what you really think."</p>
<p>"I just worry," Liv replied softly. "And I know that months have passed here, but I hope you still take all the time that <strong>you</strong> need to find out what you feel and what you want."</p>
<p>"I will," Sookie promised with a wide grin. "In fact, I told Bill exactly that when he came to visit me. Right now, my head's jumbled like a box of yarn with a cat in the middle – I need to do some tidying in there before I can even think of our future together."</p>
<p>Liv nodded approvingly, sending Sookie a shy smile that morphed into an expression of surprise and shock a moment later.</p>
<p>"Sookie! Slow down, pull over, that's Eric!" The road was scarcely illuminated, but she still recognized the tall, half-clothed figure slowly meandering down the roadside.</p>
<p>"Eric?" Sookie asked, taking her foot off the gas and leaning forward slightly to squint through the windshield. "What's he doing here? Eric!"</p>
<p>The vampire turned slowly, glancing in their direction, and if Liv hadn't known that something was wrong before, the lack of even a hint of recognition in Eric's eyes would have confirmed all her suspicions.</p>
<p>"Eric," she called gently, casting a quick glance over her shoulder before opening the door, getting out of the car and approaching him carefully.</p>
<p>Eric blinked down at her, tall and broad-shouldered and utterly lost. "Who are you?"</p>
<p>"You know who we are," Sookie declared, halfway between annoyed and curious.</p>
<p>"No," his voice sounded small and unsure as he looked between them. "No, I don't."</p>
<p>Then his eyes suddenly focused, but before Liv could feel relieved, Eric pulled in a deep, unnecessary breath, tilting his nose first towards Sookie, then turning his attention back to Liv. "Why do you smell so good?"</p>
<p>"You know perfectly well why I smell… the way I smell," Sookie answered with an unamused glare that Eric hardly seemed to notice.</p>
<p>He took a small step forward, toward Liv. "Like spring flowers, and sea salt... and life." He flashed his fangs on the last word and next to her, Sookie gave into her flight instinct with a startled squeak, distracting Liv for a second so that when she turned back to face Eric he was grinning at her from only a few inches' distance. "You smell like mine."</p>
<p>"I'm not," Liv said, as clearly and calmly as she could manage under the given circumstances. "I'm Godric's."</p>
<p>Eric furrowed his brow in confusion, leaning back slightly as if considering her from a different angle would provide him with the answers he needed. "You smell like mine," he insisted, reaching out to her and seeming truly upset when she shied back. "You're mine. Aren't you?"</p>
<p>"Eric," Liv whispered, wishing she could touch Eric, hug him and let him hug her, but fearing what she might see and what might happen to Eric in this vulnerable state while she couldn't watch out for him. "Godric is your maker. You two have a bond stronger than I've ever seen and we all live together. I think that might be the reason why my smell is a little confusing to you."</p>
<p>Eric had retracted his fangs and shifted back a notch, returning her searching look with one of his own. "What are you?"</p>
<p>"I'm your friend," she answered gently, breathing out slowly when Eric only kept looking at her with the same bewildered frown. "Liv. My name is Liv."</p>
<p>She heard approaching footsteps behind her, Sookie's small huffs as she climbed the steep incline to reach them again, but she didn't take her focus off of Eric. "Do you know who you are?"</p>
<p>"You called me Eric," the tall vampire said, a little defiantly.</p>
<p>"Because that's your name!" Sookie huffed out in frustration.</p>
<p>Liv sent her a quelling look before taking a small step towards Eric and giving him an encouraging smile. "Yes, that's right. But do you know who you are?"</p>
<p>"I…" He broke off, such a startled, lost look in his eyes that it broke her heart. "I don't know."</p>
<p>"Okay, that's okay. We'll figure it out," Liv promised. "Can you tell me, what's the last thing you do remember?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," Eric said again, softly, questioningly. "I don't know… The sea, maybe. Home." He continued to speak, but switched to his mother tongue, speaking too fast and too hushed as that Liv could make out more than a few words.</p>
<p>"Eric, jag är ledsen. Jag förstår inte,(1)" Liv interrupted him, hoping that her pronunciation wasn't too horrible as both Eric and Sookie turned to her in surprise. "Please, try to calm down. Let me call Godric for you; he'll know what to do."</p>
<p>"You speak my language?" Eric asked wondrously, studying her with renewed fascination.</p>
<p>"You've been trying to teach me," Liv explained with a mental wince at the memory of those lessons and her abysmal lack of linguistic talent. "I'm sorry. I know my pronunciation is horrible."</p>
<p>Eric shrugged his broad shoulders, grinning at her in a way that was painfully familiar. She quickly got her phone out and dialed Godric's number, hoping fervently that this wouldn't be one of those times where he just didn't manage to pick up.</p>
<p>"Cridiíon imon?" Godric asked, as always sounding a little unsure. "You feel worried. Is everything all right?"</p>
<p>"Hi," Liv said, feeling some of the tension leave her body even as she wondered how to explain this situation. "Yes, yes, I'm okay… it's Eric. He's not hurt and he's safe, but he seems to be having some problems with his memory and I really think you should talk to him. I'll hand him the phone, okay?"</p>
<p>She waited for Godric's soft acknowledgement, hearing his worry even in that one word, and then held out the phone to Eric, who now seemed more curious than angry or afraid.</p>
<p>"It's a phone, you have to put it to your ear," Sookie explained when the vampire didn't reach out immediately.</p>
<p>"I know how a phone works," Eric protested, finally taking the device from her hand, but then hesitating again. "What do you want me to say?"</p>
<p>"Why don't you start with a hello?" Liv suggested mildly, equal parts charmed and disturbed when Eric nodded earnestly and did just that.</p>
<p>"Liv says you're my maker," Eric continued questioningly; a moment later, he rolled his shoulders back with a soft sigh as if someone had caressed along his spine, his voice dropping to a soft, intimate timber and Liv breathed out her own sigh of relief, knowing that Godric must have reached out through their bond.</p>
<p>"Are you okay?" she turned to Sookie. "I'm sure Eric didn't mean to scare you."</p>
<p>"What's going on?" the blond demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you sure he isn't just faking this whole amnesia thing?"</p>
<p>"Why would he do that?" Liv asked, a little offended on Eric's behalf, especially when Sookie cast her a speaking look.</p>
<p>"Because he's Eric?" Sookie asked in exasperation. "I know him and he probably thinks this is a hoot and a half, but I'm telling you right now I already have enough problems without him adding to it, thank you very much."</p>
<p>Liv bit back the sharp retort that she likely knew Eric better than Sookie and that, for once, this wasn't about the blond fairy, and instead reminded herself that Sookie did have a lot on her plate right now and that dealing with an amnesiac vampire probably wasn't her idea of a relaxing evening.</p>
<p>"I understand that and you don't have to stay here. I'm sure you must be tired after that shift," Liv offered instead.</p>
<p>"I'm not leaving you stranded on the side of a road with a vampire who's forgotten that he has fangs let alone what damage he can do with them!" Sookie protested, sounding truly affronted, before she added a little more mildly, "I'm just not in the mood for one of his usual jokes."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Sookie." Liv smiled gratefully at the other girl before looking to Eric, who had wandered back to them and was holding out her phone to her. "Godric wants to talk to you, Liv."</p>
<p>"Thank you."</p>
<p>"Liv, are you okay? Eric said he might have scared you," Godric asked over the phone.</p>
<p>"I'm fine, I promise. I know he was just curious," Liv replied, smiling briefly at the tall vampire before turning serious once more. "Did you talk about what happened to him?"</p>
<p>On the other end of the line, Godric sighed softly. "He told me what he remembers, but it isn't much. He's very confused right now and I fear he might be under the influence of witchcraft. He was lucky it was you who found him and not someone with baser motives, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>Liv shuddered a little at the thought, but decided to save most of her questions for later. "Are you on your way here or should we wait for you at home?"</p>
<p>"Take him home, please. I'll be with you as soon as I can, but I was in Memphis to deliver Bubba to his new host so it will take me some time," Godric said, an unfamiliar hint of urgency in his tone.</p>
<p>"Okay, we'll see you there. I love you. Be safe," Liv said softly.</p>
<p>"You too, cridiíon imon," Godric replied just as softly.</p>
<p>She ended the call, slipping her phone back into her pocket before turning to Sookie and Eric. "Sookie, could I ask you for a ride back to your place? My car is still parked there and I should get Eric home."</p>
<p>"I could carry you," Eric offered brightly before Sookie could reply.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Eric, but I prefer to travel the human way," Liv said, looking to Sookie again.</p>
<p>"Of course, hop on in," Sookie agreed, walking over to the driver's side. "It might be a tight fit, though, and Eric should probably take the front seat."</p>
<p>Sookie's small vehicle wasn't really designed to comfortably fit three people, much less when one of them was a 6′4″ Viking warrior, but they somehow managed, though Liv was certainly glad when they arrived back at Sookie's house only a few minutes later.</p>
<p>"Do you want to come in for a moment?" Sookie asked. "I might be able to find a pair of Jason's old work boots and a shirt. They'll probably be too small for him, but…"</p>
<p>"Thanks, but no. You already did more than enough, and we need to get home," Liv declined, already unlocking her own car and shepherding a strangely docile Eric into the passenger seat. "Do you mind if I bring back the blanket another time, though?"</p>
<p>"Of course not," Sookie answered, indicating with a shrug that she didn't really care about the blanket she had pulled from her car's trunk and given to Eric earlier. She hovered uncertainly around her next words and Liv gave her a reassuring smile.</p>
<p>"Thank you again. And in case I didn't say so before, I'm glad you got back home safely," she said.</p>
<p>"So am I," Sookie agreed with a brilliant smile. "Though this is not how I expected the evening to end. Sometimes I really miss those times when I'd just curl up with a book and experience my adventures from the safety of my own couch, you know?"</p>
<p>Liv laughed. "It's not too late for that. As a matter of fact, I left you a book for Christmas – and cookies, but they might be past their use-by date..."</p>
<p>"Christmas, oh gosh, I missed Christmas, didn't I?" Sookie exclaimed. "I have to clean out my fridge! I just bought a dozen eggs and four sticks of butter…" She trailed off, giving Liv a slightly sheepish look.</p>
<p>"Go," Liv said, getting into the car. "I'll call you soon. And I'm going to see a movie with some friends this weekend. You're welcome to join in, if you'd like."</p>
<p>"That sounds nice and normal."</p>
<p>"Great, I'll text you the details. Have a good night," Liv said, hesitating briefly but then closing the car door and turning to Eric as she fastened her seat belt. "I'm going to take you home now, okay? But you need to promise me that you won't touch me while I'm driving."</p>
<p>"I promise," Eric agreed earnestly. "Godric said that I mustn't touch you without your permission and that I should always wait for you to make contact first or I might hurt you. I don't want that."</p>
<p>"Thank you." Liv breathed out, feeling a wave of gratitude that Godric had taken the time to remind Eric about that, despite his worry for the younger vampire. "Let's get you home then."</p>
<p>She started the car and maneuvered out of Sookie's driveway, speeding up once she reached the main road. She could feel Eric's gaze on her, unwavering and slightly uncomfortable to her already stretched nerves, though she could guess that Eric felt even more unsure than she did.</p>
<p>"How are you feeling?" she asked gently.</p>
<p>Eric shrugged, then furrowed his brow in confusion. "I feel… normal? Is this how I'm supposed to feel?"</p>
<p>"Are you in any pain?"</p>
<p>Eric shook his head before he admitted sheepishly, "I'm a bit hungry, though."</p>
<p>"I'll get you something to drink as soon as we get home," Liv promised, striving for a light tone. "Could you please put your fangs away?"</p>
<p>"Sorry," Eric mumbled, scooting towards the car door and covering his mouth with his hand. "Sorry."</p>
<p>"It's okay, but as I said I'm Godric's," Liv told him gently but firmly. "I need you to respect that."</p>
<p>Eric nodded hastily. "I will, I'm sorry. You just smell really nice."</p>
<p>"I appreciate that, but my heart does not appreciate being scared like that, okay?" Liv gave back, sending Eric a small, reassuring smile and wishing she could somehow ease his pain and confusion.</p>
<p>"Your heart is beating very fast," Eric agreed solemnly. "But I promise I will never hurt you, Liv. Godric said I should keep you safe. You and the baby." He beamed at her, a pearly row of blunt human teeth. "I don't really know what 'artificial insemination' is, but I can feel the baby, the ties of our blood, so I know it's Godric's. It's a miracle."</p>
<p>"It is that," Liv said with a faint laugh, wondering what exactly Godric had told Eric about her pregnancy and if perhaps Godric had intended to only share the official version with Eric for now; if so, that had clearly failed thanks to Eric's vampire senses. "We're trying to keep it a secret, though, so I'm grateful that you didn't mention this in front of Sookie."</p>
<p>"Godric said it wasn't safe to trust her. That I should only trust you and that you would take care of me," Eric said with another one of his too trusting looks that made her want to pull him into her arms and hide him away somewhere safe till he was back to his normal, incorrigible self. "Can I touch your belly? Feel the baby?"</p>
<p>She laughed despite herself at the familiar enthusiasm in Eric's voice, sending him a fond eye roll. "Let's get you home first, all right? It's not safe while I'm driving."</p>
<p>"Oh, of course," Eric said. "You're an excellent driver."</p>
<p>"I'll be sure to remind you of that when you regain your memory," Liv laughed again. "We're turning into our street now. Do you recognize anything?"</p>
<p>Eric turned to peer out the window, but remained silent until Liv had parked the car in the garage. "I don't recognize anything."</p>
<p>"That's okay. I'm sure Godric will be here soon and then we'll figure everything out. Come on." She entered the code to open the connecting door between the garage and the main house, the lights flickering on in welcome as she stepped inside.</p>
<p>When she glanced over her shoulder, she found Eric still just outside, hovering uncertainly on the doorstep. "This is your home, Eric, even if you don't remember it right now. You don't need an invitation."</p>
<p>Eric blinked, carefully inching across the threshold, his muddy feet leaving dark smudges on the white tiles as he obediently followed her to the kitchen. She maneuvered him into one of the kitchen chairs and heated up a bottle of Tru Blood for him before excusing herself briefly to get a basin with warm water so that Eric could wash his feet and wouldn't track mud through the entire house. She also tried to call Pam, but only got the dial tone and left a brief text message instead, informing her of the situation.</p>
<p>Back in the kitchen, Eric was taking tiny sips of his Tru Blood, greeting her with a bright smile when she returned with the basin and placed it down in front of him.</p>
<p>"Do you remember what happened to your shoes and your shirt?" Liv asked conversationally, carefully rolling up the legs of Eric's jeans so that they wouldn't get wet.</p>
<p>Eric wiggled his toes in the warm, soapy water as he pondered her question. "There was a bog, I think," he finally offered.</p>
<p>Liv waited a moment to see if Eric had more to add, but the vampire seemed content to leave it there, instead splashing his feet lightly in the water, but stilling when Liv soaked a washcloth into the basin and started to wipe the stubborn muddy streaks from Eric's large feet.</p>
<p>She startled slightly when Eric's foot suddenly jerked in her light grasp. "It… it tickles," Eric explained with a soft chuff of laughter and another boyish grin before carefully placing his foot back in the water and leaning forward, "You are really beautiful."</p>
<p>It was Liv's turn to chuckle and look up at Eric with fondness. "Thank you. You're quite handsome yourself."</p>
<p>Eric beamed at her, relaxing into his seat. Liv smiled to herself as she continued to wash off the mud, gently gliding the washcloth along the elegant arches of Eric's feet and between his wiggling toes. She'd just started to drift off into her own thoughts, the repetitive motions strangely meditative, when she heard the sound of the door and Eric shot to his feet almost simultaneously.</p>
<p>"Who the fuck's she?"</p>
<p>"Fuck!" Liv heard Pam's emphatic comment behind her even as she got to her feet.</p>
<p>"Sorry," Eric said, looking between them with chagrin. "Sorry, that was rude. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Pam seemed equally disturbed by Eric's lack of recognition as by his suddenly apologetic manner. "What do you know about what happened to you?" she demanded almost aggressively.</p>
<p>Eric turned to Liv for help and she sighed. "Maybe introductions first? Eric, this is Pam. Your progeny."</p>
<p>"I have a progeny?" Eric asked, studying Pam with newfound interest.</p>
<p>"Fuck!" Pam said again. "What did they do to you?"</p>
<p>Eric, predictably, had no answer for that question, either, sending Liv another pleading look. "Why don't we all go downstairs? Eric can look at some pictures and other mementos while we wait for Godric. Have you finished your Tru Blood?"</p>
<p>"Why are you feeding him that swill?" Pam groused.</p>
<p>"I was hungry," Eric offered helpfully, taking another swallow of the synthetic blood before carefully setting the bottle down on the table. "Liv's been taking care of me."</p>
<p>"Of course she has," Pam muttered, swiveling on her heel and disappearing down the hallway towards the secret entrance to their cozy little bunker.</p>
<p>Eric peered after her before leaning down to whisper in Liv's ear. "She seems angry. Did I do something wrong?"</p>
<p>"No, she's just worried about you. We all are," Liv promised gently, nudging Eric to start him moving in the right direction.</p>
<p>Once down in their bunker rooms, Eric started looking around, studying the row of pictures on the wall and in particular the portrait of his parents with interest but no real sense of recognition.</p>
<p>"What the hell happened?" Pam hissed, suddenly at Liv's side. "You found him like this? Did he say anything to you?"</p>
<p>"He was wandering down the road just outside of Bon Temps," Liv explained softly. "Godric said something about witchcraft?"</p>
<p>Pam let loose another curse, this one a lot more colorful than her previous single-syllable expletives. "There's a coven in Shreveport that's been messing around with necromancy – the queen sent Eric to check it out."</p>
<p>"And by 'check it out' you mean…?"</p>
<p>"I really don't have time for your pangs of conscience right now," Pam snapped back. "They erased his memories, his whole fucking identity and I swear they're going to rue that for the short rest of their miserable lives! And so help me if I have to listen to you sniffle about it…"</p>
<p>"You mustn't talk to Liv that way." Eric was suddenly between them, carefully but definitively pushing Pam several steps back. "Be nice to her."</p>
<p>"Well, at least some things don't change," Pam muttered with a roll of her eyes. "Tell us what you remember."</p>
<p>"It might help us to better understand what you're going through," Liv added encouragingly.</p>
<p>Eric shrugged helplessly, giving her a pleading look before his attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere as he took a small step towards the door, falling to his knees as the door opened with a soft hiss and Godric appeared, to Liv's human eyes, out of thin air.</p>
<p>"Godric," Eric whispered.</p>
<p>"My child," Godric murmured, gently touching Eric's cheek before pulling him to his feet and into his arms. "I'm here now."</p>
<p>Eric melted, his shoulders slumping forward as he pressed his forehead lightly against Godric's, the two vampires drifting together like they always did. Liv breathed a quiet sigh of relief, feeling in her heart that everything would be all right now, that nothing could be quite so bad as long as Godric and Eric still shared this incredible connection to each other.</p>
<p>After a few minutes, Pam huffed impatiently and started tapping her feet in her designer pumps. "We need to fix this - now!"</p>
<p>"Of course," Godric agreed, releasing Eric but keeping one hand on his shoulder to steer him to the couch. "Eric, I need you to tell us what you remember."</p>
<p>"I…" Eric started, then shook his head.</p>
<p>"There is no wrong answer," Godric promised before prompting gently, "You said on the phone that you remembered a woman's eyes?"</p>
<p>Eric nodded slowly, latching onto Godric with his gaze. "Cold, empty eyes. They were reaching into me. Emptying me. And it was her, but it wasn't her. She was in a… in a circle… chanting. And… everything I was… was taken from me."</p>
<p>Pam cursed, but Godric just made a small sound of disagreement, lightly caressing Eric's cheek. "That's not true, child. She may have stolen your memories, but you're still you. You're still mine."</p>
<p>"I am?" Eric asked.</p>
<p>"Always," Godric assured him with a kind smile, lightly squeezing the taller vampire's neck. "Min fader, min broder, min son."</p>
<p>Eric relaxed, happily slumping against Godric's chest and seeming content to stay there even as Pam demanded to know what the hell they were going to do to get Eric's memories back and deal with those witches. Liv felt ill at ease with a good ninety percent of her suggestions, especially the parts that referenced her methods of persuasion should the witches not be in a cooperative mood.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Pam," Godric finally interrupted her. "I appreciate your resolve, but if this coven is responsible for Eric's loss of memory they are clearly more powerful than we had anticipated. We're not going to underestimate them again."</p>
<p>"Then what do you suggest? We can't just do nothing," Pam insisted with her arms crossed over her chest and an angry scowl on her face.</p>
<p>"That's exactly what we must do, at least for tonight," Godric replied calmly, raising a hand when Pam made to protest. "I'm angry, too, Pam. But we need to make sure that our next confrontation with these witches will be on our terms. So I need you to stand down until we have more information."</p>
<p>"Fine," Pam pressed out after a silent staring contest. "I'm going to do some recon, keep an eye on them – from a distance. And you are going to keep Eric safe, do you hear me?"</p>
<p>"I hear you," Godric said softly. "Thank you for your trust, Pamela."</p>
<p>Pam disappeared with another muttered curse and Godric sighed, but still managed a smile for Liv when she stepped up to him and gently touched his cheek before leaning down for a soft peck. She winced at the distorted flash of images – of Eric, but also of darker, more vicious memories. Godric hadn't been lying when he had told Pam that he was angry; beneath his outwardly calm expression, he was livid.</p>
<p>"Do you need anything?" Liv asked softly.</p>
<p>"Just you," Godric replied simply, reaching for her arm and lightly rubbing his thumb against her pulse point. "Thank you for bringing him home safely, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>"Yes, thank you, cridiíon imon," Eric echoed brightly, sounding so sincere that it sent a little jolt through her body despite her better knowledge.</p>
<p>"Uh, do you know what that means?" she asked hesitantly.</p>
<p>Eric thought about it for a moment and then turned to Godric expectantly, who obliged him with an explanation. "It's a term of endearment I have for Liv. It means 'my love'."</p>
<p>"Oh." Eric pensively rubbed his fingertips over a fold in his jeans before looking up at her again. "And I don't call you that?"</p>
<p>Liv softly shook her head, not quite sure what to make of the disappointment on Eric's face. "You sometimes call me 'little dove'," she offered.</p>
<p>Eric mouthed the two words to himself and then nodded in satisfaction. "I like that. It suits you."</p>
<p>Liv wasn't quite sure what to make of that assessment, but she still felt her lips lift in a smile in response to Eric's beaming grin. It was so strikingly familiar and yet so painfully wrong, too open, too guileless, as if Eric had been turned into a washed-out romcom version of himself. She looked to Godric, hoping that he would be able to understand her question without her having to find the words.</p>
<p>Godric sighed quietly. "For now, Eric is safe here with us, but we will have to deal with those witches and get them to lift this spell sooner rather than later. Witchcraft is a dangerous and often unreliable force; I don't want to risk whatever other form this curse might still take."</p>
<p>"Maybe I'll see something that will help," Liv offered, squeezing Godric's hand when she saw the slight furrow appear between his eyebrows. "I promise I'm okay to do this, love."</p>
<p>"I don't want you to get hurt. You don't know what you might see," Godric insisted.</p>
<p>"I know, but I want to help. And if Eric's in danger, we should have all the information we possibly can," Liv replied, sitting down on the coffee table in front of the two vampires before she turned to Eric, who had listened to their conversation with growing confusion.</p>
<p>"Eric, I'm going to take your hand for a moment, if you don't mind."</p>
<p>"I don't mind," Eric replied. "But I also don't understand. Please explain it to me."</p>
<p>Liv took a deep breath before she started to explain, "When I make skin contact with someone I can sometimes take a peek into their past or future. It's easier to control my abilities when I'm the one to initiate the contact so that's why Godric asked you not to touch me without my permission. Okay?"</p>
<p>Eric nodded, holding out his right hand to her. His skin felt cool and dry to her touch as she carefully took his large hand between both of hers and for a moment, her mind was blissfully silent. Even after the fog of comforting darkness lifted, the familiar images and scenes came to her slowly and with less painful insistence than usual. And there was nothing unknown or alarming in her visions even when she tried to push a little deeper.</p>
<p>"What are you?" she startled back when she heard the soft, awe-filled question accompanied by a deep sniff against her neck, almost bumping her head against Eric's chin in the process. "Sorry. I startled you. That was inconsiderate. Please calm down. She's not calming down, Godric!"</p>
<p>Liv chuffed out a slightly breathless laugh, giving the panicked vampire a fond eye roll. "Just give me a moment, Eric."</p>
<p>"Sorry," Eric mumbled again.</p>
<p>"Liv is a banshee," Godric offered, gently squeezing Eric's neck before moving around to sit down next to Liv and carefully pull her against his side.</p>
<p>"So when you said you can see the past and future, you meant that you can see death?" Eric asked hesitantly. "My death?"</p>
<p>"Yes. Sometimes I see the future, all the possibilities of someone's death, but with you guys I usually see snippets of your past and that isn't always so bad," Liv said, reaching out to pat Eric's knee with a gentle smile. "Just now I saw the beginning of your life as a vampire, the night when Godric became your maker."</p>
<p>She sent Godric a significant look, lightly shaking her head to tell him that she hadn't seen anything else, anything that might have been either worrisome or helpful.</p>
<p>"I don't remember that. I don't remember anything," Eric mumbled.</p>
<p>"Trust your instincts," Godric murmured, resting his hand on Eric's other knee. "What are they telling you?"</p>
<p>Eric breathed out slowly, studying their hands as if they held all the answers before a slow, honest smile spread across his handsome features. "You're my maker. You'll always look out for me. And we both look out for Liv. She's pregnant and she said I could touch her belly."</p>
<p>He turned expectantly to Liv, who shook her head with a laugh. "Be my guest, though don't be disappointed if you don't feel anything. It's a little too early for the baby to start kicking."</p>
<p>Eric didn't hesitate, scooting forward and lightly placing his hand on her middle. "It's amazing."</p>
<p>"Yes, it is," Godric agreed solemnly, also reaching out to rest his hand on her belly.</p>
<p>Liv agreed, but she wasn't sure if she could keep up with their combined level of awe and enthusiasm so she opted to stay silent, snuggling comfortably into Godric's side and anchoring Eric to her with a hand on his leg before she closed her eyes. After a few minutes, Eric started to ask Godric questions about his life, their voices soft and soothing, slipping in and out of Eric's mother tongue as she drifted deeper and deeper into slumber.</p>
<hr/>
<p>(1) Eric, I'm sorry. I don't understand</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <i>This chapter was one of the main reasons I wanted to write this sequel, so I hope you liked it :).</i>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Cunning Fox</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <i>One scene from this chapter is once again heavily inspired by a scene in the episode 4x04 "I'm Alive and on Fire". Also I'm sorry, I'm a little late with this update, but I hope you still like it.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i><span class="u">Warnings for this chapter:</span> Mentions of drug abuse and minor character death.</i>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>8. Cunning Fox – Seven Children's Piano Pieces - Franz Reizenstein</strong>
</p>
<p>The next day was surprisingly normal, or at least it started that way with Liv waking to her alarm going off and Godric and Eric still fast asleep next to her. The two vampires were snuggled together, Eric wrapped safely in Godric's arms and his hand clutching almost possessively to the older vampire's waist. They both looked young and peaceful, Eric's hair soft and fluffy after the shower he must have taken and Godric's eternally youthful features relaxed and free of worry lines. She studied them for a moment, debating with herself if she should take a sick day, but then leaned down to breathe a tender kiss against Godric's lips, caressing her fingers over his cheek before she slipped out of bed with a soft sigh.</p>
<p>Before Liv had gone to bed, they had briefly discussed their strategy for the coming days and Godric had insisted that they should go on as usual so as not to draw attention to Eric's condition and had also cautioned against asking Patricia for her help. She understood his reasons, the protective instincts that told him that he needed to shield Eric from the outside world while he was in this vulnerable state, but she still wished there was more she could do to help.</p>
<p>She bent down again to tuck the sheets back around the two sleeping vampires, making sure that Eric's feet didn't peek out at the bottom, before she headed to the bathroom for her usual morning routine and a quick shower, glad that her stomach seemed to be in a cooperative mood for once.</p>
<p>She dressed and was halfway up the stairs when she had an idea that might help jog Eric's memory and turned back around. She went to the sitting area, opening the folding doors of the waist-high cabinet next to their high-end hi-fi system and started to pick out some CDs she knew Eric liked. When she had a selection of old Swedish folksongs, the electric dance music that usually played at Fangtasia and the classical music they liked to listen to when they were at home, she inserted the CDs in the multi CD changer and wrote a little note for Godric so that he would know which button to press.</p>
<p>That done, she once more returned to the two vampires, pressing a little kiss to Godric's lips and gently running her fingers through Eric's hair before she went upstairs, checking the alarm system and their supply of Tru Blood in the fridge before she left for work.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Patricia's truck was already parked out front when she arrived at work, which wasn't unusual, though she was surprised that Patricia had turned on all the lights and not just those in her office. The reason for this deviation was explained quickly enough, though, when she stepped inside and immediately had to hop over a puddle of water from the potted Benjamin's fig which had been pushed over, one of its branches snapped off and the dirt from the pot spread in heaps and clumps over the floor. The small coffee table had also been pushed aside, magazines strewn asunder, one of the chairs toppled over and the keyboard from the desktop computer dangling by its cable over the edge of the table.</p>
<p>"Patricia?" Liv called, her voice raised in worry.</p>
<p>"Don't holler, I can hear you perfectly fine," the doctor answered in a grumble, appearing at the door to her office and preempting her next question. "The examination rooms aren't too bad, but the office is completely trashed."</p>
<p>"Are you okay? You weren't here when this happened, right?" Liv asked next, noting and accepting Patricia's exasperated glare.</p>
<p>"Of course not, or I would have introduced them to my shotgun."</p>
<p>"Did they take anything?" Liv asked, peering around Patricia and swallowing at the battlefield that had once been a very nice, very clean and very orderly doctor's office. "The lab?"</p>
<p>"They haven't been down there as far as I could tell, but the medicine cabinet is a mess. They took a wild assortment of drugs, some syringes."</p>
<p>"We should probably call the police," Liv offered hesitantly, already thinking of all their not-quite-standard-issue equipment that they would need to hide from the prying eyes of law enforcement.</p>
<p>Patricia, clearly thinking along similar lines, shook her head. "We'll take stock of what's been stolen and report the missing drugs if necessary, but I'd rather do without some overeager cop trampling over what remains of our doctor-patient confidentiality."</p>
<p>Liv nodded, but then suggested, "And if we ask Debbie and Alcide for their help? They might be able to pick up a scent trail. Chances are if someone broke in to steal our drug supply they're not going to use it responsibly..."</p>
<p>The other woman grumbled, starting to pick up some of the papers spread over the floor. "Cancel this morning's appointments while you're at it."</p>
<p>Liv hummed in agreement and then quickly dialed Debbie's number, glad when the other woman picked up after only a few rings and immediately agreed to help after Liv had explained the situation. She then checked their calendar and called the three patients who had appointments that morning, making apologies and rescheduling them for a later time.</p>
<p>"Debbie and Alcide are on their way and Mrs. Nicklepeak needs her treatment today so I penciled her in for late afternoon," she told Patricia as she started to help the other woman with cleaning up, gathering up papers and magazines and getting out a dustpan to clean up the shards of broken glass and splintered wood.</p>
<p>The two werewolves showed up soon after and Liv waved them inside.</p>
<p>"Oh, wow, you weren't kidding," Debbie commented, carefully stepping over a ripped off part of one of the cabinet doors and pulling her into an even more careful hug. "Are you okay?" She sniffed against Liv's neck and gave her a critical once-over.</p>
<p>"We're fine. We weren't here when it happened," Liv assured her. "But thank you for coming so quickly. I know it's a bit… well, I hope you weren't too offended when I asked."</p>
<p>Debbie laughed and Alcide gave her a kind smile. "Don't worry about it. Sniffing out a crime scene is certainly not the worst thing we've ever been asked to do."</p>
<p>"I'm not sure I want to know," Liv admitted and the two werewolves exchanged another grin.</p>
<p>"Maybe another time," Alcide said, smoothly moving his large form around her to get a better view of the damage. He gave a low whistle when he saw the broken door of the medicine storage, the shelf that had been ripped from the brackets, the small labeled bottles, some broken, others just spilled over the floor. "So that's what he was after."</p>
<p>"He?" Liv asked. "Are you sure it was only one person? This just seems like a lot of damage…"</p>
<p>"He really was all over the place," Debbie agreed, sniffing the air and taking a few steps towards where Patricia was trying to bring some order back to their patient files. "There're other scents of course – from you and Dr. Ludwig and presumably your patients."</p>
<p>"Which are none of your business," Patricia snapped, sending the werewolf a nasty glare which caused her to slink hastily away from that side of the room.</p>
<p>"Right, well, they're fainter in any case. Older," Debbie said, smiling in response to Liv's whispered apology. "So there was probably only one burglar. Do you think you could pick up a trace?"</p>
<p>Alcide gave the air another testing sniff before he nodded slowly. "I think so, the smell's rather pungent. But not in this form."</p>
<p>"Be careful, there're still shards of glass on the floor," Liv advised worriedly when Alcide started to strip with no further ado.</p>
<p>He grinned at her, taking a step back into the short hallway that led to the waiting room before stripping off the rest of his clothes. A moment later, he poked his wet snout back into the room, his pink tongue lolling out between a sharp row of teeth as he gave a soft yip.</p>
<p>"I'll stay in human form so it's easier to communicate," Debbie explained, while Alcide inched a few paces into the room and scented the air before turning around. "Assuming you're coming?"</p>
<p>"Of course," Liv agreed after a quickly exchanged look with Patricia. "Let's go."</p>
<p>Alcide was impatiently waiting for them in front of the closed entrance door, whining a little accusingly when they joined him. Debbie laughed as she opened the door for him and Alcide shot down the stairs.</p>
<p>"Sorry - our instincts run wild in this form. It's quite liberating, but reason and patience sometimes get a little sidelined."</p>
<p>"In that case, I think we'd better hurry before we lose him," Liv said, nodding towards where Alcide had just finished inspecting a patch of grass near one of the windows and was now disappearing around the low hedge that framed the parking lot on that side.</p>
<p>They jogged a little to keep up with him, though Liv was glad when both Alcide and Debbie slowed down after only two blocks, the former because the trail was apparently getting more difficult to follow and the latter with a very worried look for Liv.</p>
<p>"Do you need to sit down? Do you want me to take you back to Dr. Ludwig?" she asked, gently grasping Liv's arms. "Oh, god, this can't be good for the baby!"</p>
<p>"I'm fine and so is the baby," Liv appeased her after she had managed to catch her breath, smiling self-deprecatingly. "Honestly, I probably just should have done a little more to stay in shape these last few months…"</p>
<p>"Are you kidding? You're still the most delicate person I've ever met and you look as if you haven't put on even an ounce of weight," Debbie replied, still hovering protectively.</p>
<p>"Not you too," Liv pleaded as they started walking after Alcide again. "I already have to deal with Godric and Eric worrying about just that when there's really nothing to worry about. Most women don't put on more than a few pounds during their first trimester – some even lose weight between morning sickness and food aversions."</p>
<p>"Are you still having trouble with that?" Debbie asked worriedly.</p>
<p>"A little," Liv admitted. "But I've been starting to feel better lately and you know what a fantastic cook Godric is - I'll blow up like a balloon in no time."</p>
<p>Debbie laughed with a disbelieving shake of her head before sharply calling Alcide's name when the wolf made to cross the street without regard for the oncoming traffic. They picked up their pace and Debbie buried her hand in the scruff of his neck to keep the wolf anchored to her side while they waited for a break in traffic.</p>
<p>"I think we're getting close," Debbie noted when they had crossed the street to a small public green space, nothing more than a couple of trees, a park bench, a wastebasket. "I'm picking up his scent again. Stay behind me, Liv."</p>
<p>Liv obediently fell a step behind, but took out her phone in case she needed to call for help quickly. After a brief hesitation, she also got out one of the small cans of pepper spray that Eric always slipped into her bags and purses. They crossed through the green space quickly, following Alcide, who veered sharply to the left and disappeared into an alleyway. They heard a sharp bark and sped up in alarm, but when they turned around the corner, Alcide had dropped back on his haunches and was looking at them with his tongue lolling out of his mouth.</p>
<p>"Oh my…"</p>
<p>Liv also sucked in a harsh breath when she spotted the crumpled figure, half hidden behind a dumpster, the stolen drugs scattered around him and the needle still sticking in his arm. She pushed past Debbie and kneeled down next to him, already knowing that she wouldn't find a pulse before she felt the coldness under her fingertips.</p>
<p>"He's dead?" Debbie asked, keeping a respectful distance.</p>
<p>"He has been for a couple of hours," Liv answered softly, feeling the lack of life with every sense of her being. "I'll have to call the police, but if you and Alcide want to get out of here…"</p>
<p>"I'm not leaving you alone with a dead body!" Debbie protested, an ever so slight growl in her voice. "Besides, what will you tell them when they ask how you found him? We're staying."</p>
<p>Alcide barked, whether in agreement or in response to Debbie's show of emotion Liv wasn't sure, but she still appreciated the support. She called 9-1-1 and quickly explained the situation, also calling Patricia while they waited for the officers to arrive.</p>
<p>"Let's wait around the corner," Debbie suggested, nudging Alcide away from a broken glass bottle.</p>
<p>"Okay. Could you keep an ear out, though? I don't want anyone to stumble in here by accident…" Liv asked with one last look down at the lifeless man. He looked haggard and withered for all that Liv estimated him to be no older than thirty, with colorless hair and sunken cheeks, his skin ashy grey and his clothes soiled and dirty. She felt strangely calm, almost detached, if still immensely saddened that his life had had to end like this, that maybe somewhere there was a mother or father not yet knowing that they would soon be grieving the loss of their child. She turned away and followed behind Debbie and Alcide.</p>
<p>"Is Alcide okay with staying in this form for a while longer?" Liv asked, after they had made their way back to the little green space and sat down on the bench.</p>
<p>"He's fine, I promise. For all that he has issues with his wolf side, he actually really enjoys being in this form," Debbie assured her, laughing when Alcide yipped in agreement and slobbered a wet kiss over her cheek before running over to inspect a little mound of grass near one of the trees.</p>
<p>"How are things between you?" Liv asked, studying the other woman while she waited for an answer.</p>
<p>Debbie looked good, reasonably calm, if perhaps still a little pale around the nose. Her blond hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, a slight smile on her lips as she watched Alcide with obvious affection, some of the tension leaving her body as she gratefully accepted Liv's attempt at distraction.</p>
<p>"We're still a work in progress, but we've been talking a lot more instead of just arguing, you know? We still haven't figured out all the answers, hell, not even close, but he's been real supportive of me going to the meetings and making friends." She gave Liv a wide grin. "We both think you're a good influence on me."</p>
<p>Liv laughed, lightly nudging their shoulders together. "I'm really glad for our friendship as well. And I'm happy that you two are working things out."</p>
<p>Debbie smiled before turning thoughtful. "We actually had a visitor the other day, the packmaster of the local pack, asking why we hadn't registered with him yet. He wants us to join his pack."</p>
<p>"What did you tell him?"</p>
<p>Alcide trotted back over to them, plopping down in front of Debbie and resting his head on her legs with a questioning yip.</p>
<p>"We told him that we would think about it," Debbie said, gently scratching Alcide behind the ear. "And we're still discussing it, but I think… I think Alcide might be right. We're just getting our lives back on track and joining a pack would be a big change. And I'm not sure it would be good for us… or for my sobriety."</p>
<p>Liv hummed in agreement. "You think it might trigger some bad memories… old habits?"</p>
<p>Debbie nodded, continuing to pet Alcide with gentle strokes. "I don't want to make excuses, but I got hooked on V because I was scared and lost and just wanted to belong somewhere – and those are the same reasons why I got mixed up with Cooter and his pack... So I still think having a pack is important, but it should be the right one and for the right reasons."</p>
<p>Alcide barked, jumping up to bath Debbie's face in another wet, slobbery kiss. Liv laughed, getting out of the way of his wagging tail. "I think Alcide approves. You two will figure it out, I'm sure."</p>
<p>"Thanks," Debbie said, pushing Alcide away with a laugh. "So are we still on for this weekend?"</p>
<p>"Absolutely. And I thought of inviting Sookie along if that would be okay for you?"</p>
<p>Debbie was silent for a moment. "I don't mind, but I'm not sure she'll be thrilled about my company. Our last meeting didn't exactly go so well…"</p>
<p>"Maybe it'll give you a chance to clear the air," Liv suggested kindly. "And if not, Mel and I will be there as buffers and we can still enjoy the movie."</p>
<p>"Okay," Debbie agreed, nodding with newfound resolve, getting to her feet a few moments later. "The cops are here."</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>The police investigation itself turned out to be strangely unexciting. The two police officers who showed up looked both only a few months short of retirement and seemed content to ask standard questions to confirm their quickly formed theory that the dead man had broken into the doctor's office in search of drugs and had then celebrated his success by promptly overdosing. They hadn't even raised an eyebrow at Debbie's explanation that the two of them had had plans for breakfast and that her dog Alfie – Alcide had growled softly at that new nickname – had picked up a scent and that they had simply followed him here, and only asked Liv a few questions about the break-in before they left the crime scene to the coroner and offered to drive them back to the doctor's office.</p>
<p>By the time they arrived, Patricia had gathered up all the patient files and locked away some of their more overtly supernatural equipment and reference materials, though Liv had her doubts that the two officers would have noticed if Patricia hadn't taken that precaution. They walked through the rooms to inspect the damage, spending slightly longer on one of the windows which had presumably been the point of entry, and then asked Patricia to provide them with a list of what had been stolen. There were a few comments on why they didn't have security cameras or an alarm system - in this neighborhood, two women alone, what were they thinking? - and one of the cops advised Debbie that she should really put Alcide on a leash, but that was it. They took their leave less than an hour later, promising to send over their report for the insurance company and to contact them if there were any further questions.</p>
<p>"Well, that was a waste of time," Patricia remarked in summary of the entire episode; Liv was not sure she disagreed.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Godric met her at the door, taking the sixpack of Tru Blood out of her hands and breathing a kiss against her lips. "Thank you, cridiíon imon. I'm glad you're home."</p>
<p>"Is everything okay? Where's Eric?" she asked worriedly, following him to the kitchen, towards the familiar, welcoming scents of Godric's cooking.</p>
<p>"I missed you," Godric explained with a smile, pulling her into his arms as soon as he had put down the sixpack, lightly tracing his hand up and down her back. "Eric's outside in the garden."</p>
<p>She reached out to frame his face between her hands, rubbing her thumbs lightly over the delicate skin at the corner of his eyes. She could see the shadow of worry in his eyes even through his smile, the slightly pinched arch of his eyebrows, the rigidness of his posture. She leaned in for a soft kiss, then dropped her hands and gave him a questioning look.</p>
<p>"How is he? How are you?"</p>
<p>Godric sighed, leaning against the counter and pulling her between the V of his legs. "I worry. Eric's strong and fearless and buoyant, but right now he doesn't remember that. He only remembers this emptiness inside of him and of course that scares him, even if he does his best not to admit it."</p>
<p>"I'm sure he remembers you," Liv said softly, caressing Godric's cheek. "At least on an emotional level."</p>
<p>"He recognizes the bonds of our blood," Godric acknowledged, but he still sounded troubled. "And I'm glad for that. But I'm not sure it makes it easier for him to feel the wealth of our history, but have no context; to feel tethered to me without knowing exactly why or how."</p>
<p>"I'm sure that must be confusing," Liv said softly. "But he's relying on what he knows in his heart to be true and I don't think that's a bad thing, all things considered."</p>
<p>"The heart has its reasons which reason knows not," Godric murmured thoughtfully, carefully brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiling at her with a hint of good humor. "Though, Eric would probably deny the applicability of that statement."</p>
<p>Liv laughed. "Probably. But I think we both know that Eric has a big heart despite his claims to the contrary and that it's strong enough to get him through this. I have faith in that and in the two of you."</p>
<p>"Thank you, cridiíon imon," Godric whispered, leaning in for a tender kiss. "Are you okay? You seemed stressed earlier."</p>
<p>Liv sighed and then told Godric about the break-in and the dead man in the alley while she ate her dinner - steamed salmon with a sweet and spicy sauce and a side of rice. She did her best to reassure Godric, to reassure herself, but she could still feel his worry and concern for her in the way he settled his arms around her, carefully and lightly, as if afraid he might shatter her.</p>
<p>"I'm okay," she promised, but still leaned into his hold. "Let's focus on Eric for now. Have you heard from Pam?"</p>
<p>"She called earlier," Godric admitted. "I had problems with the phone."</p>
<p>"Do you want me to call her back?" Liv offered, getting out her phone when Godric nodded. She quickly dialed Pam's number, not surprised when the female vampire picked up after only a second or two.</p>
<p>"Yeah?"</p>
<p>"Hi, Pam. I have Godric here for you?"</p>
<p>"Let me talk to him," Pam demanded and Liv put the phone on speaker and placed it on the table, knowing that this would be easier for Godric than having to hold the phone in his hand where he might be tempted to press one of the buttons. "I'll check on Eric," she murmured to Godric, brushing a light kiss against his cheek as she got up.</p>
<p>Godric smiled his thanks and then focused back on Pam as Liv left the kitchen towards the living room and the back garden. The outside lights were already on, clearly indicating that something had triggered the motion sensors, but she didn't see Eric, at least not at first. She wandered over the terrace, peering into the darkness of the surrounding estate, then took the few steps down towards the pool area, thinking that she could take the small winding pathway that circled the house to see if she could spot Eric anywhere. She didn't get that far, though. When she passed by the pool, her attention was caught by a large shadow moving under the turquoise water moments before Eric broke the surface, spitting out a mouthful of water and grinning widely at her.</p>
<p>"Hey, Liv. Where have you been?" he reached out to her, beckoning her with his hands. "Come, come play with me. The water's wonderful. I am Ægir, god of the sea. And you are Rán, my sea goddess." He puffed out his chest a little, looking at her with a hopeful smile.</p>
<p>Liv felt herself smile in response, but still had to shake her head. "I'm afraid the water's still too cold for me."</p>
<p>Eric's face fell in disappointment and he splashed around rather dejectedly, Liv thought, which made her feel awful for ruining his good mood. "But you do look like a proper god and I'd be happy to keep you company, if you'd like?"</p>
<p>Eric perked up and nodded eagerly, crossing to the other side of the pool with a few long strokes, pushing off from the edge and diving under, reemerging close to where Liv was standing and shooting a spurt of water from his mouth. She laughed at Eric's obvious attempts to show off and decided that the night was mild enough that it might feel nice to put her feet and legs in the water. She toed of her shoes and pushed the legs of her soft scrubs up over her knees before picking a relatively dry part of the pool rim and sitting down.</p>
<p>"So tell me about Ægir and Rán," she asked when she had settled down and Eric took a break from diving in and out of the water like a seal.</p>
<p>"Ægir is the god of the sea. He can grant seafarers a safe journey if they have pleased him with their offerings, or if they have not… sink their ships," Eric explained, gleefully recreating blustering waves and the churning sea to underline his point. "And when that happens, Rán will put out her magical net to catch all the drowned men and bring them safely to the realm of the dead at the bottom of the sea. You'd be an excellent Rán."</p>
<p>He beamed at her and laughed when she sent a small wave towards him with her foot, retaliating with a rather more sizeable splash. She squeaked, trying to escape the volley of cold water that lapped up to her knees and soaked the hem of her pants. She wanted to glare at Eric, but he seemed so happy and carefree that she didn't have the heart and instead just sloshed her hand through the water again. He laughed happily, turning onto his back to float for a bit while blowing another fountain of water from his mouth.</p>
<p>Liv watched him for a moment and then closed her eyes, leaning back onto her hands and enjoying the cool water against her tired feet and the soft evening breeze tugging at her hair. She heard the burble of the water as Eric started to swim again, small waves licking at her calves. A moment later, she snapped her eyes open, hearing the rush of displaced water and feeling the sudden close proximity of another person.</p>
<p>"Uh, Eric?" He had placed his hands on either side of her and pushed himself out of the water, small droplets of water dripping from his chiseled chest and barely an inch of space between them. Liv honestly wasn't sure how he kept his legs – and other body parts - from coming into contact with hers, but she was too distracted by Eric's teasing breath against her lips to figure it out. "What are you doing?"</p>
<p>"Waiting for you to kiss me," Eric declared, his eyes bright with eagerness though he looked almost a little timid as he leaned even closer and shyly licked his lips. "I can't touch you if you don't touch me first."</p>
<p>"Thank you for remembering that," Liv whispered, awkwardly clearing her throat and leaning back to try to get a bit of distance between them. Eric followed. "But I'm not going to kiss you, okay?"</p>
<p>Eric stopped to pursue her with his lips to send her a hurt look instead. "Why not? Is it because you're Godric's? He doesn't mind."</p>
<p>Liv knew that was probably true, but it wasn't her main concern in any case. "You never wanted to kiss me before, Eric, not like this, and I know you're going through a lot right now. It must be confusing and I don't want you do something that you might regret later."</p>
<p>"I'd never regret kissing you," Eric promised earnestly with a hopeful, little smile.</p>
<p>"I don't think you can promise that right now," Liv replied softly, apologetically, sighing when Eric's face fell. "Eric… I don't want to mess things up between us. Please let me go."</p>
<p>Eric still looked unhappy and unconvinced, but at her words he pushed away slightly and instead swung himself up on the pool rim next to her. He kicked his feet through the water and for a while they just sat silently. "You didn't say that you don't want to kiss me," Eric remarked suddenly, turning to her with a widening grin.</p>
<p>Liv shook her head with a laugh, getting to her feet and then leaning down to press her lips lightly against Eric's cheek. "Tell you what: If you still want to kiss me once you've regained your memories, you're welcome to."</p>
<p>"Really?" Eric asked, jumping to his feet as well and following her towards the house.</p>
<p>"Really," Liv assured him with another chuckle, telling herself that she would worry about that if it ever came to it. "Now, can you put on some clothes or do you need a towel?"</p>
<p>She was sure there was a smart-ass comment on the tip of Eric's tongue, but then his head snapped around and the next thing she knew there was a whirlwind of blurred movements, of sounds and crashes, before that too stopped and Eric had Sophie-Anne pressed against the screen door, his large hand wrapped tightly around her throat.</p>
<p>"Eric, stop!" she shouted, hastening towards them.</p>
<p>"Who is this?" Eric demanded, glancing briefly at her before pressing Sophie-Anne harder against the door.</p>
<p>"She's our friend. Let her go, Eric," Liv insisted, breathing out in relief when Godric appeared on the scene and pulled Eric away.</p>
<p>"I'm also his queen, you might have mentioned that," Sophie-Anne snapped as soon as she was free, straightening her jacket with sharp movements and brushing her hands angrily over her pantsuit. "But then, you haven't mentioned a lot of things, have you?"</p>
<p>"My liege. Forgive me," Eric said, dropping heavily to his knees before Liv could find an answer to Sophie-Anne's accusing gaze.</p>
<p>"This is new," the vampire queen commented, focusing back on the tall Viking. "It seems Bill was telling the truth for once."</p>
<p>Godric smoothly stepped in front of Eric, his hands loose and open at his sides. "Maybe we could take this inside, your majesty? Eric, please get dressed."</p>
<p>Eric hesitated only a second before he disappeared inside, presumably to find some clothes. Godric stepped over to Liv, carefully putting his arm around her waist and sending her a questioning look. Liv gave him a small smile to reassure him that she was fine before they both followed the queen into the living room. The redhead had claimed the big leather armchair for herself, sitting in it like a throne and rapping her fingers impatiently on the armrest while she waited for them to settle. Eric returned fully dressed not even a minute later and settled down next to them on the couch after a short hesitation.</p>
<p>"Well? I'm listening," Sophie-Anne said archly. "I didn't come all the way to Shreveport to admire your gardening technique."</p>
<p>"What do you wish to know?" Godric asked politely.</p>
<p>"How about you start by telling me why I shouldn't have you all locked up for treason?"</p>
<p>Godric returned her angry glare with calm eyes, not responding to her hostile tone nor to the implicit accusation as he told the queen in succinct terms what they knew of what had happened to Eric.</p>
<p>"So, in summary, I dispatched Eric to deal with some upstart, second-rate witches and instead of handling the situation swiftly and discreetly and dissuading them from any further forays into necromancy he got himself compromised. And then you thought that it was fine to keep this information from me so that I had to learn about it from Bill Compton, of all vampires."</p>
<p>"I had planned to contact you later this night, but Eric's safety was always going to be my priority," Godric replied simply. "And I don't know how Bill Compton came to be in possession of this information."</p>
<p>"Sookie probably told him," Liv offered softly, wincing when Godric turned to her with a furrowed brow.</p>
<p>"You didn't ask her to keep her silence?"</p>
<p>"I considered it, but honestly I didn't think it was a promise she would be able to keep," Liv replied hesitantly. "I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Godric reached out to stroke her arm, gently caressing his fingers over her sleeve. "Don't be. Miss Stackhouse isn't the most discreet person and Bill has a tendency of lurking. He probably saw you and Eric when you came to get your car."</p>
<p>"I fail to see how that is the pertinent issue right now," Sophie-Anne interrupted them acidly. "What are you doing to fix this situation?"</p>
<p>"Pam has been keeping the witches under surveillance. She was just approached by three of the humans involved and they've agreed to try to reverse the spell together with their coven leader," Godric offered, probably relating the contents of his earlier phone call with Pam.</p>
<p>"And you trust these witches to keep their word?" Sophie-Anne asked pointedly.</p>
<p>"I will make sure of it," Godric replied in his usual mild tone, but something in the way he held himself told Liv that this coven would certainly regret it if they tried to renege on their promise.</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne wasn't convinced though. "No. I will not risk the oldest vampire in my queendom becoming enthralled by their magic, not when Eric has already been compromised. I need to be certain that you will be fully capable of keeping him in line. Or would you prefer that I lock him up, for all our safety?"</p>
<p>"I would strongly advise against that, your majesty," Godric replied, silencing Eric with a look when he made to speak up. "Eric's perfectly safe here."</p>
<p>"Then stay put and make sure to keep it that way. Pam can handle the coven and supervise them to make sure they don't attempt to do further harm," Sophie-Anne retorted, doing her best to stare Godric down.</p>
<p>Liv interrupted their staring contest by softly clearing her throat. "I understand that this is a threat you need to address and I also understand why you don't want Godric to put himself at risk. I'm grateful for that, really. But maybe there's at least a chance for a peaceable solution?"</p>
<p>"Your point being?"</p>
<p>"I believe what Liv is trying to say is that despite Pam's many talents, diplomacy is not her forte. She might not be the best person to help defuse an already tense situation," Godric replied, looking to her for confirmation.</p>
<p>Liv nodded before she said apologetically, "And neither would you. You're just as angry and worried as Pam, even if you hide it better."</p>
<p>"It's too dangerous to leave them to their witchcraft without supervision," Godric pointed out, even as he held her a little tighter. "We need to keep an eye on them."</p>
<p>"But Liv is right, I will send someone who's less emotionally invested. In fact, I know just the vampire for the job," Sophie-Anne said, a wicked smirk playing around her blood-red lips. "Bill did say that he wanted to earn back my trust, after all."</p>
<p>The idea clearly appealed to her and Liv could see that Bill still had a long way to go to get back into the Sophie-Anne's good graces. She almost felt a little bad for the Southern vampire, but then she reminded herself that Bill had more than once sold out her secrets in his attempts to gerrymander things in his favor and that she didn't owe him any sympathy. Godric and Sophie-Anne seemed to feel the same way and the rest of their discussion on how to best assure Bill's trustworthiness and obedience was quite amiable, though there were some instances where Godric would pause or glance at Eric, clearly expecting the blond vampire to offer his own insights and ideas, before he gathered himself and turned back to Sophie-Anne.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Eric was sitting quietly, still seeming a little spooked and doing his best not to draw attention to himself. Liv hoped that they would be able to fix this soon and that the witches would reverse whatever spell they had cast because this was just all wrong.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>"And the other thing you forgot to mention?" the queen demanded, arching an eyebrow expectantly. "I must say, I've been underestimating your talent for subterfuge if this is the level of transparency you've assigned to our friendship."</p>
<p>Godric had excused himself to the kitchen, enlisting Eric's help to call Pam and tell her about their new plan, and Liv and Sophie-Anne had stayed behind in the living room, Liv's few attempts at polite small talk petering out into tense silence that densified with every second that ticked past. She was almost glad that Sophie-Anne had addressed the elephant in the room.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, but we haven't really started telling people yet."</p>
<p>"You asked to visit your aunts two weeks ago," Sophie-Anne reminded her pointedly. "I thought it was very gracious of me to allow Godric to accompany you despite his less than stellar record in that state."</p>
<p>"You know I'm grateful for that."</p>
<p>"You have a funny way of showing it. I'm surprised, really. Surely you didn't think I'd hold your little extramarital excursion against you?"</p>
<p>Perhaps she should have left it at that, just gone with Sophie-Anne's reasonable assumption, apologized again and tried to smooth things over. But it didn't sit right with her and there was a sly undertone in the queen's voice, a hint of suspicion and Liv knew that any lie she told, no matter how well-worded, would only make matters worse now.</p>
<p>"I didn't cheat on Godric and that's not why I didn't tell you."</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne leaned forward, her teeth glinting dangerously as she smiled. "Oh? Careful now, Liv, or I might start to think that you had other reasons for your secrecy."</p>
<p>Godric picked that moment to come back into the living room, somehow managing to appear calm and unhurried even though he had moved at lightning speed. Eric was only a second or so behind him.</p>
<p>"There is no secret. We merely decided to wait until Liv was at least in her second trimester before sharing the good news," Godric offered, stepping up to her and dropping a soft kiss into her hair. "And as for the baby's parentage, there's a new technique called artificial insemination. We only needed a sample of human sperm. Eric and I procured that in a nearby fertility clinic."</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne looked between them, from Godric to Liv, from Liv to Godric, from Godric to Eric, from Eric back to Liv. She wasn't sure what the vampire queen saw on her face, what clues she might glean from her heartbeat and breathing, but she was almost certain that the adorably confused look that Eric was sporting wasn't helping matters. He kept silent, fortunately, but that was probably only thanks to Godric's influence.</p>
<p>"You don't say," Sophie-Anne finally replied blandly, smoothly getting to her feet a second later. "I shall take my leave now. Liv, be a dear and walk me out."</p>
<p>She sent Godric a quelling look when he made to follow, her heels clacking loudly on the floor as she strode outside.</p>
<p>"It's okay," Liv murmured, giving Godric a reassuring nod and also smiling briefly at Eric despite her nervousness.</p>
<p>"Liv…"</p>
<p>"I know." She sighed, seeing her worry mirrored in Godric's eyes. She knew that this would be a tightrope walk, that she couldn't tell the queen the truth, how ever much she wanted to, but that she couldn't just ignore this if she wanted to salvage what was left of their friendship.</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne was waiting for her on the terrace overlooking the garden, her slim form elegantly draped against one of the supporting beams of the pergola. She did not acknowledge Liv when she stepped up next to her.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"How sweet," Sophie-Anne said musingly, turning to face her. "You know, I almost believed you. A very reasonable explanation… if only it made sense."</p>
<p>"Doesn't it?" Liv asked carefully, hesitantly, curling her fingers into fists to control their shaking.</p>
<p>"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure it'll be enough to fool the masses. But if you ask me, for such a momentous revelation, the explanation is just a little too… bland. You should have gone with the infidelity."</p>
<p>"Would you have believed that?"</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne gave her a sharp grin.</p>
<p>Liv sighed, feeling the tension in her body ratcheted up another notch. "What do you want me to say?"</p>
<p>"If you will not tell me the truth, at least tell me why."</p>
<p>"Because Godric's worried. Eric's worried. Hell, even Pam's worried," Liv replied softly with a pleading look. "And maybe they're just being overprotective, nervous because they've never been in this situation before. I want to believe that, but I'm not going to take the risk. I'm just not. So please… Please just accept that this child was conceived with artificial insemination and please let it go."</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne studied her for a few long moments and Liv could see that her curiosity hadn't abated in the slightest. "I will stay in town for a few more days, at least until this witch problem is resolved," Sophie-Anne finally announced and Liv didn't dare to ask how that related to her plea.</p>
<p>"Did Hadley come with you?" she asked instead, at least wanting to end their conversation on a friendlier note.</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne threw her a look, quite clearly communicating that she knew what Liv was doing, but then answered nonetheless, "She decided to stay home. It's still not easy for her to rein in her thirst and we both thought you might pose a bit too much of a temptation."</p>
<p>"Oh," Liv breathed out. "I'm sorry. I would have liked to see her, but I understand. I'll give her a call later. Are things still so strained between her and Andre?"</p>
<p>"Actually, I followed your suggestion to spend some alone time with him, offered him some advice about being a maker if he decides to go that way," Sophie-Anne admitted. "Perhaps he was indeed feeling a little jealous of Hadley's new role in my life – though I still dislike the idea that I fixed their little sibling rivalry by applying the teachings of pediatric psychology to my 500-year-old progeny."</p>
<p>Liv laughed. "Oh, please, you love playing mind games. I saw your last debate on TBBN with Steve Newlin – I think by the end he was about ready to admit that being a vampire would suit him just fine."</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne snorted. "If only that would stop him and his cronies from spewing their anti-vampire rhetoric for more than a few minutes… Goodnight, Liv. Take care."</p>
<p>She was gone a moment later and Liv stood there alone on the terrace, feeling the cool night air on her face. Then Godric's arms closed gently around her waist and she leant back into his firm body with a relieved sigh, feeling the strains of the day and this conversation slowly seep away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Noch' na lysoy gore</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <i>Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter ;)</i>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>9. Noch′ na lysoy gore – Modest Mussorgsky</strong>
</p>
<p>When she pulled into their driveway the next day, the sun hadn't set yet, still hanging low in the sky and casting the house in a soft orange glow. The way the light fell through the upstairs windows, played around the sharp corners of the house and sent sparks of gold dancing along the rim of the roof, the modern fortress softened into a water-color version of itself, less stark and utilitarian, more inviting and homey. Liv was suddenly glad she had managed to leave early for once, though her main reason had been that she wanted to be home when the witches attempted to reverse the spell they had put on Eric, just in case.</p>
<p>She made sure the garage door was closed completely before she entered the house. After a brief detour to the kitchen to put the used food containers in the dishwasher, she made her way downstairs, almost certain that both vampires would be up by now, though probably still a little sleepy.</p>
<p>She was half-right, as it turned out, because 'sleepy' was definitely not the word that came to her mind when she saw the two intertwined bodies between rumpled sheets, one tall and well-muscled, the other slender and covered in tattoos, both pale and stark naked. She halted in the doorway, still trying to find herself to a reaction when they noticed her arrival.</p>
<p>"You came back," Eric said with what sounded like sincere relief, sitting up between Godric's legs and holding out his hand to her. "Come join us?"</p>
<p>"Eh… that's a very tempting offer, honestly, but…" Liv nervously cleared her throat, her eyes flickering over the scene before she found confidence in Godric's calm, mildly curious gaze. "But I feel that might be sending some rather mixed signals after our conversation last night, Eric. I'll leave you to it, but you two have fun."</p>
<p>She turned around swiftly, but still felt her cheeks heat when she caught another glimpse of that spectacular view.</p>
<p>"Liv, cridiíon imon." Godric appeared next to her between one blink of the eye and the other. "You're not upset?"</p>
<p>"No," Liv replied without hesitation, turning to face him fully and reaching out to gently touch the corner of his mouth. "A little surprised maybe, but not upset."</p>
<p>"Eric had a nightmare. He dreamt that he had drained you, killed you and that I had cast him out for it," Godric explained quietly, pulling her into his arms when she gasped in shock. "It disturbed him greatly. He needs reassurance… more than just words to show him that I love him. Is that okay?"</p>
<p>"Of course," Liv assured him, leaning in for a tender kiss. "You know I love how close you two are and I would never begrudge you anything that feels right to you. Just please remember that you both deserve to be comfortable with everything you do. I don't think Eric would want you to agree to something that still carries too many bad memories for you just because it made him happy."</p>
<p>Godric smiled a little sheepishly, but gave her a tiny nod of understanding. "You're a wise woman, cridiíon imon. And I'm very lucky that you're not given to jealousy."</p>
<p>Liv chuckled, shaking her head fondly. "Oh, believe me, I would be very jealous if I found you in bed with anyone other than Eric. Now how about a kiss before I let you go?"</p>
<p>"Are you sure you don't wish to join us? Eric would be happy to share this with you, now as under normal circumstances," Godric asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "As would I."</p>
<p>"I'm sure. This should be about the two of you, about the connection you already share, and not about redefining Eric's and my friendship," Liv said, resting her hands lightly on Godric's hips. She made a happy sound when he responded by crowding her against the wall, his soft lips meeting hers in a claiming kiss as he leisurely thrust his rock-hard erection between her thighs and teasingly flicked his fingers over her breasts.</p>
<p>And then it all stopped, all the delicious stimulus to her nerve endings, as Godric danced away from her.</p>
<p>"Hey, not fair!" Liv protested good-naturedly.</p>
<p>"You can always change your mind, cridiíon imon," Godric called back, smirking at her over his shoulder and wiggling his delectable butt.</p>
<p>Eric appeared in the doorway and pulled Godric into what looked to be a toe-curling kiss, the two vampires melding together and becoming one, something so simple and yet so powerful that Liv felt her heart beat faster in response, a renewed flush rising to her cheeks and a little tingle travelling all through her body.</p>
<p>When they broke from the kiss, they turned to look at her again, Godric with an impish grin and Eric with a bashful look of hope, and it took all of her willpower to give a tiny shake of her head. Eric's face fell, but Godric just smiled gently before he carefully nudged the taller vampire back into their bunker, the safety door sliding shut and the door towards the upstairs opening for her a moment later.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Liv went to the kitchen, perusing the contents of their fridge to see if anything in there looked good for dinner. She finally picked a slice of quiche and a small side salad and when Eric and Godric still hadn't emerged from the bedroom by the time she had finished her meal, she decided to take a bath and invest in some well-deserved personal time. And if her fantasies featured more than one charming, devilishly handsome vampire, certainly nobody needed to know that (though Godric probably did anyway).</p>
<p>Perhaps it should have bothered her, she thought, lazily drifting in the still warm water and the pleasant afterglow of her orgasm. But then again, she'd always known that Eric and Godric were inextricably intertwined and that their relationship had taken different forms, explored different aspects over the many years of their shared existence. Godric had never confirmed it in so many words, but she was well aware that they had been lovers in the past and that those feelings still existed between them, an undercurrent to their everyday lives and interactions.</p>
<p>It certainly was no accident that Godric told Eric about their own lovemaking in exquisite and explicit detail – and that Eric was always more than happy to offer his advice and return the favor with stories of his own sexual adventures. The three of them lived in the same house, slept in the same bed and spent a good part of their days and nights in each other's company. Even their thoughts and feelings passed seamlessly from one to the other, the lines of separation so thin and blurred that they sometimes seemed to disappear altogether.</p>
<p>Maybe their arrangement was a little unusual, by human and vampire standards alike, but it had honestly never occurred to Liv to compete with Eric for Godric's attention or affection. She knew without a doubt that Godric had room enough for both of them in his heart and she wasn't afraid that this - whatever 'this' was - would in any way, shape or form diminish how Godric felt about her.</p>
<p>As if to proof her point, Godric was waiting for her when she came out of the bathroom, offering her a shy smile and gently pulling her into a tender kiss. He whispered words of gratitude and love into her ear and then watched appreciatively as she got dressed before they went downstairs together where Eric had settled in the living room. They seamlessly drifted back into their usual roles, Godric calm and loving, Eric playful and teasing, Liv somewhere in the middle. They put on soft music and looked through some photos, sharing anecdotes when Eric seemed interested, but mostly just enjoying being together and trying to distract themselves from what was happening elsewhere while they waited for news.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Suffice it to say, the witches' healing ritual, and their attempt to resolve the matter in a civil and peaceful manner, did not go according to plan.</p>
<p>Pam called around 2 a.m., angry and pissed, and expanding on her rather brief report with a number of creative expletives. The coven, or at least a subsection including their leader, had shown up and so had Bill. He had explained that he was there to monitor the ritual and make sure they didn't try anything else and that they were to restore Eric's lost memories without any more shenanigans. But according to Pam, things had started to go downhill after that, and quickly. Bill, for all his touted ties to the community had not been popular with that particular group of humans. One of the women had accused him of not helping her when she had been abducted by another vampire; Bill had tried to defend himself by bringing up his relationship with Sookie and things had spiraled off from there.</p>
<p>"And the ritual itself was utter bullshit, some new-age, craptastic idiocy with a circle of candles and prayers to random deities they had probably never even heard of before," Pam said scornfully. "They were chanting for almost an hour before Bill finally decided that enough was enough. I'm sure the bastard would have loved to just leave it at that, but with both me and the queen watching he didn't dare."</p>
<p>"Sophie-Anne was there?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, sure. Said she wanted to see for herself to make sure she got the full story. I don't think she's very happy with us right now," Pam replied.</p>
<p>"I bet she isn't," Liv murmured before she let Pam continue her report.</p>
<p>"Anyway, Bill told them to change their tune and think of something else, stat, and the coven leader got all flustered, blubbering on about spirits and signs and the power of love, maybe." Pam scoffed into the phone, the microphone giving a crackle of protest. "She seemed like a total dud."</p>
<p>"But something else happened," Godric said, not making it a question.</p>
<p>"Bill tried to be charming, but the girl from before, Lafayette's cousin, she'd been holding a gun on him the whole time, got a twitch in her finger… Bill rather lost his cool after that, I'm afraid, ripped the gun from her hands, and I was just about to give him some points for not being a complete waste of space, when the witch started casting again, for real this time. Some kind of curse in Latin, and then a sentence in Spanish."</p>
<p>She repeated the words, and though Liv's knowledge of Latin was mostly composed of medical terminology what she understood and Godric's furrowed brow told her that the intent couldn't have been benevolent.</p>
<p>"And the result?" Godric asked softly.</p>
<p>"Not pretty," Pam replied shortly and Liv didn't know how to feel about the lack of glee in her voice. "He left quickly. And so did the witches."</p>
<p>"I fear none of this bodes well," Godric said, ignoring Pam's snort. "Has the queen given any further orders?"</p>
<p>"She's convening a sheriff's meeting, Sunday evening, at Fangtasia."</p>
<p>"Good. We'll be there, though I might need you to intervene if there should be any questions for Eric specifically," Godric said, giving Eric an encouraging smile.</p>
<p>Pam made a sound in the affirmative, scoffed at Godric's thank you and hung up soon after, leaving them to themselves once more. But the atmosphere was different now, a tension in the air that was quite clearly coming from Eric though Godric was surrounded by his own cloud of worry.</p>
<p>Liv sighed, gently nudging Eric in the side. "Hey. Talk to us. What's on your mind?"</p>
<p>"I'm never going to get my memories back, am I?" Eric asked, angrily twisting one of the throw pillows between his hands until it exploded in a shower of feathers. "Sorry."</p>
<p>Godric shrugged with a forgiving smile, brushing a few feathers from Eric's shirt and then gently starting to pick the little white specks from Liv's hair. "I do wish we could have resolved this tonight. But, Eric, there're other ways. And there're other witches, too, even some that don't consider vampires the scourge of humanity." He grinned a little, reaching out to squeeze Eric's neck. "I promise."</p>
<p>"And until then we can make some new memories," Liv offered when Eric still seemed hesitant, carefully reaching out to pluck a feather from Eric's blond hair. "Happy memories like this one."</p>
<p>"I promise I'll be happy if you kiss me," Eric suggested with a softer version of his usual smirk.</p>
<p>Liv laughed. "Hold still." She knelt up, gently catching his face between her hands and tracing her thumbs lightly over his cheekbones before she placed her lips carefully against his. It was a chaste kiss, nothing more than a peck, really, but it still felt different, more intense, more dangerous, if only because there was no mistletoe, no teasing remark from Eric to counter this moment of intimacy. And she knew that Eric loved her, just as she loved him. But as a friend and confidante. They joked, they laughed, they flirted, but always with the caveat that she was Godric's and that Eric would never even consider intruding on that. It was safe.</p>
<p>But this Eric didn't know that and Liv wasn't sure how to handle his advances gracefully, how to retain the status quo when the tall vampire so obviously needed and wanted something else right now. And Godric was probably right that Eric wouldn't mind demonstrating some of the practical applications of his sexual prowess to her because Eric loved sex and all it entailed. She just wasn't sure that it would mean the same to him now as when he regained his memories – and she couldn't even begin to fathom what it would mean to her.</p>
<p>So she pulled back when Eric attempted to deepen the kiss, trying to ignore her own traitorous heartbeat, the warmth that spread through her belly. If Eric had been his usual self, he probably would have made some kind of joke, teased her for thinking this could be called a proper kiss and offered her some private tuition. From this Eric, who was so much more open about his thoughts and feelings, she had expected a pout. Instead, Eric looked pleased and slightly dazed, absently licking over his lips and revealing just the tip of his fang, and Liv couldn't help but be a little flattered by his reaction.</p>
<p>Godric chuckled, probably laughing at the both of them, his soft breath puffing against her cheek as he slipped his arms around her waist before he claimed his own kiss when she rested her hand over his.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Klaviertrio</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>10. Klaviertrio ("Geistertrio") – Op. 70 – Ludwig van Beethoven</strong>
</p>
<p>"The movie starts in a few minutes. We have to go in now if we don't want to forfeit on our tickets," Mel said, craning her neck to watch the thinning line of movie goers. "I don't think Sookie's coming."</p>
<p>Liv sighed, but then nodded. "Okay, let's go. I'll send her a text – maybe she can join us for coffee later."</p>
<p>"I'll get us some popcorn," Debbie offered, seeming a little relieved that it would be just the three of them.</p>
<p>Since it was early afternoon on a Saturday and the movie they had picked promised to be a typical romcom, the movie theater was filled mostly with teenage girls, a few young couples and a surprising number of elderly ladies. They picked seats in one of the upper rows, at the far left side so that Liv could take the aisle seat, Debbie next to her and Mel the furthest towards the middle.</p>
<p>The movie wasn't particularly riveting, in Liv's opinion, but it had its funny moments and the characters were likeable enough, so all in all it was still an enjoyable 90 minutes or so, though she couldn't help it if her thoughts drifted off from time to time, all the unresolved problems and unanswered questions clamoring for her attention.</p>
<p>But at least Mel and Debbie seemed to be having a good time, Mel's raucous laughter ringing out more than once and Debbie actually growling softly when the main antagonist mounted one last-ditch attempt to ruin the happy ending for the destined couple. They shared popcorn and exchanged whispered comments and swooned a little at the predictable, but very romantic ending.</p>
<p>Afterwards they went to a nearby café that had an excellent cake menu, chattering about their lives – Mel's prospect at a promotion and her brother's surprise birthday party, Debbie's attempt to integrate morning yoga into her daily routine and Liv's pregnancy. She hadn't shared the news with Mel before, but now that Sophie-Anne knew - and probably knew too much – it didn't feel right to keep it a secret from one of her best friends.</p>
<p>She still felt a little uneasy, knowing that she had to keep some things to herself, but not wanting to lie if she could help it. She needn't have worried, though, with Debbie by her side. She had only said a few words and answered Mel's obligatory "But how?" with a short and vague reference to "artificial insemination" before the werewolf took over, happy that she could finally share her excitement. It was almost a bit overwhelming to realize how invested Debbie had become in this short amount of time. Liv had known that Debbie was protective of her and the little life growing inside of her and she was certainly grateful for it, but she still resolved to have a talk with Debbie later, to make sure that her friendship and longing for a family wouldn't turn into an unhealthy obsession.</p>
<p>"Wow, congratulations!" Mel said, caught up in Debbie's infectious enthusiasm. "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"</p>
<p>"We're probably going to find out during my next check-up," Liv replied with a soft smile. "Though, Godric also likes the idea of it being a surprise."</p>
<p>"Oh, I don't know if I'd be onboard with that," Mel said, absently stirring in her coffee. "I mean, picking out baby stuff and all those cutesy outfits is part of the fun, right? If you have to wait until after the baby's born, you'll have your hands so full it'll just be another chore that takes too much time."</p>
<p>"And what about the baby shower?" Debbie pointed out. "There will be a baby shower, right?"</p>
<p>"I hadn't thought about it yet," Liv admitted with an apologetic smile. "But yes, I want to find out the baby's gender. It still doesn't feel real, sometimes, like a dream, and I'll wake up and everything's gone. I'm actually looking forward to gaining some extra weight."</p>
<p>Mel laughed, pushing the platter of petit-fours towards her. "We're in the right place for that, though I think I'd better stop. I just bought a gorgeous new dress for our annual charity dinner and I have to watch my figure a bit or I'll just look like a pressed sausage."</p>
<p>"That's ridiculous. I wish I had your curves," Debbie chided, picking up one of the little cake squares and popping it into her mouth. "I'm all bones and sharp angles."</p>
<p>"I think you're both beautiful," Liv intervened gently. "Mel, Debbie is right, you have gorgeous curves and you're confident and strong and I admire how competently and calmly you handle even the most difficult of situations, be that at work or with your family. And Debbie, I think it's great how open you are about your past and I admire you for the courage and determination you show in building a better a future for you and Alcide. I consider myself fortunate to have both of you in my life."</p>
<p>Debbie blushed and Mel laughed. "And that's why we should do this more often. I could use a regular dose of your complimentary confidence boosters."</p>
<p>They all laughed and finished their cakes and beverages before Mel took her leave since she needed to pick up her grandmother from the senior center.</p>
<p>"Still no word from Sookie?" Debbie asked while they waited for the waiter to bring them their check.</p>
<p>Liv shook her head and was about to answer when she actually saw the blond fairy stalking towards them as if she was marching into battle. "Here she comes. Debbie, if Sookie says something… you can leave at any time, okay?"</p>
<p>"I probably got it coming, whatever she has to say to me," Debbie murmured, her hands clenching into tight fists and her spine rigid with tension as they watched Sookie went her way through the tables until she halted in front of them, planting her feet shoulder-width apart.</p>
<p>"Did you know about it?" Sookie demanded without preamble, only greeting her with an angry glare and scowling a little harder when she recognized Debbie. "Did you know your beloved queen was sending Bill into a fucking trap?"</p>
<p>"I don't think we should discuss this here," Liv said, deliberately pitching her voice low to encourage Sookie to lower her own voice. "And no, it was not a trap."</p>
<p>"His fucking flesh is rotting off!" Sookie hissed dangerously. "And all because he tried to help you fix the fucking mess Eric got himself into."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry Bill got hurt, I am, but I don't think that's a fair assessment of the situation," Liv replied, handing a wad of cash to the very uncomfortable waiter that had cautiously approached their table. "I'm very sorry for the disturbance, sir, please keep the change. Sookie, can we please take this conversation somewhere else?"</p>
<p>She started to walk away without waiting for a response, Debbie trailing her like a silent but watchful sentinel. She assumed that Sookie was following them from the angry huffs she could hear behind her, but she didn't stop until they had reached the parking lot behind the cinema where she had parked her car.</p>
<p>"Well?" Sookie demanded.</p>
<p>"Well what?" Debbie asked, taking position next to Liv and crossing her arms over her chest. "If you have a point you're yet to make it."</p>
<p>"And what are you doing here?" Sookie snapped back. "You tried to kill me. You almost drained Bill!"</p>
<p>"Yep, I did, and I want to apologize for that and make amends if you'll let me," Debbie offered with a sheepish smile that faltered at Sookie's stormy expression. "But you don't seem very open to that right now, so… maybe another time?"</p>
<p>Sookie snorted before turning her glare back on Liv.</p>
<p>Liv sighed before she said, "Pam told us what happened last night, that Tara tried to shoot Bill and when he threatened her in return, their coven leader used another spell on him. I'm sure I don't know all the details and Bill might have had another view on things, but I can tell you it wasn't a trap. He knew exactly how dangerous they were. He told the queen himself, after all."</p>
<p>For a moment it looked like some of what she had said, particularly the information about Tara's role in last night's escalation, took some of the wind out of Sookie's sails. But she rallied quickly again, a familiar mulish expression appearing on her face. "Well, whatever. I'm not going to sit by and watch Bill turn into a rotting pile of goo so are you coming or not?"</p>
<p>"Where are you planning on going?" Liv asked skeptically, not liking the belligerent look on Sookie's face.</p>
<p>"I'm going to have a talk with that witch. And if she won't tell me how to fix Bill, well, maybe I'll find out for myself," Sookie replied with her usual gumption.</p>
<p>"I don't think that's a good idea, Sookie," Liv cautioned. "Why don't you bring Bill to the clinic instead? Patricia might have an idea about how to help him or at least ease his symptoms."</p>
<p>"And what if she can't? Do you expect me to wait for your <strong>friends</strong> to come through? Sorry, but I'm fresh out of confidence in them," Sookie retorted with a pejorative sneer. "No, I'm going to the Moon Goddess Emporium right now and getting me some answers. You can come if you want. Or wait till she hurts someone else."</p>
<p>She swirled on her heel, her blond ponytail bouncing jauntily as she strode away, towards her car that was parked just a few spaces down. Liv sighed, rubbing her hands over her face before looking to Debbie for help.</p>
<p>"I thought you said Sookie had sworn off of vampire business," Debbie commented dryly. "Doesn't look like she remembers that."</p>
<p>Liv sighed again, pressing the button to unlock her car and motioning Debbie to hop on in on the passenger side. "It's Bill. They've got this complicated thing going on between them, and maybe it's love, but…" She shook her head, not wanting to speak ill of her friend.</p>
<p>"Should we go with her?" Debbie asked, sounding about as enthusiastic about the idea as Liv felt. "I don't know a lot about witches, but it's enough to know that it's better to stay clear of them."</p>
<p>"I know, but I don't think we can talk her out of this," Liv murmured, pulling out of the parking lot and following Sookie's yellow Honda.</p>
<p>"Liv, you're pregnant," Debbie reminded her as if she needed reminding. "I don't like this plan."</p>
<p>"I don't think you can call it a plan," Liv pointed out. "But we can't let Sookie go by herself."</p>
<p>"Fine, but I'll get you out at the first sign of trouble," Debbie said in a tone that brooked no argument.</p>
<p>Liv gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Debbie, really. But let's hope that won't be necessary."</p>
<p>The Moon Goddess Emporium was located in a brick building at the corner of an intersection, with red awnings under a large white-on-black sign that spelled out the shop's name. The shop windows were sparsely and eclectically stocked - a collection of crystals, a small selection of jewelry, some books on various subjects, a crystal ball and a deck of tarot cards next to a small placard advertising spiritual guidance and readings.</p>
<p>Sookie barely waited for them to catch up to her, probably not in the mood for another discussion, before she pushed the door open, the small bell over the doorway jingling happily as they filed into the dimly lit interior. Liv blinked her eyes a few times, the scent of incense and patchouli prickling uncomfortably in her nose as she looked around. The shop was about what she had expected, green painted walls offset against the checkerboard pattern of the linoleum floor, a million little odds and ends scattered over various surfaces, shelves overflowing with books and trinkets. It didn't look cluttered, per se, but it had an air of deliberate disorder as if everything had somehow found its place on its own volition.</p>
<p>The woman who greeted them looked rather plain and a little frumpy, in comparison, with her frizzy reddish brown hair and a long skirt in muted colors. She didn't seem like a powerful witch, Liv thought, listening with half an ear as Sookie started to fill the shop with easy chatter and friendly small talk, convincing the witch, Marnie, to give her a reading even though she had been about to close.</p>
<p>"Do you mind if I have a look around?" Liv asked, motioning vaguely to one of the shelves in the adjoining room. "My friend's birthday is coming up and I saw some pretty necklaces in your shop window."</p>
<p>Marnie motioned vaguely with her hand. "Be careful of the crystals. They're very powerful."</p>
<p>Liv hummed in agreement, glancing briefly back at Sookie, who had settled into a chair for her reading, before she wandered further into the shop with Debbie, away from Marnie and Sookie and towards the other woman. She looked to be in her late 20's, beautiful, with dark curly hair and brown eyes that were watching them suspiciously. A non-existent breeze flapped the tattered seam of her dirty shift dress and ruffled her curls around her.</p>
<p>Liv wasn't as surprised as she should have been, but then again, this wasn't her first ghost. They sometimes lingered in graveyards, wandering aimlessly or mournfully watching their grieving relatives, and when she had worked in the hospital in Dallas she had met one or two in the morgue, lost souls, not quite willing to let go, but unable to return to the lives they had lived before.</p>
<p>At times, she had managed to talk to them, find out what kept them from moving on and offer them a little reassurance or promise to pass on one last message to their loved ones, but in most instances, they didn't react to her, silent specters, gradually fading from view and this plane of existence.</p>
<p>She halted when she was only a few steps away from the ghostly woman, a small round table with an assortment of bowls and goblets between. She softly cleared her throat. "Hello."</p>
<p>"Liv?" Debbie whispered, looking around in alarm and scenting the air, but then giving an explosive sneeze as the strong mix of smells assaulted her sensitive nose.</p>
<p>Liv shushed her, quietly shaking her head. "Please keep an eye on Sookie. I'm okay."</p>
<p>"I'm not leaving your side," Debbie hissed back, close enough that she brushed Liv's shoulder as she turned slightly sideways to bring Sookie and Marnie back into her line of sight.</p>
<p>Liv focused back on the dark-haired woman. "Can you hear me?"</p>
<p>She inclined her head ever so slightly in response, staring at Liv with narrowed eyes.</p>
<p>"My name is Liv. Is there a name I can call you?"</p>
<p>"I am Antonia Gavilán de Logroño." Her voice was soft and melodious with an ever so slight accent, but her stance was proud and defiant.</p>
<p>"It's nice to meet you," Liv murmured, nervously clearing her throat. "I don't mean to upset you, but do you realize that you're… dead?"</p>
<p>Debbie threw her a horrified glance.</p>
<p>For a moment, Antonia actually looked a little amused before her expression turned stark once more. "I was murdered four hundred years ago, by the same monsters that still haunt this earth. For four hundred years I have waited and watched as vampires only grew bolder and more vicious. At least in my time they remained hidden. Now they walk among us, shameless in their lust, their hunger."</p>
<p>"Is that why you cast those spells on Eric and Bill? It was your spell work, wasn't it, not Marnie's?" Liv asked carefully, not wanting to anger Antonia further.</p>
<p>"You talk of them as if they were your friends," Antonia accused, the wind around her picking up warningly.</p>
<p>"One of them is," Liv replied, fisting her hand in Debbie's jacket and pulling her along as she inched back a few steps.</p>
<p>"The first one came here, into Marnie's place of worship. He molested her. He bit her like an animal," Antonia spat out and for a moment Liv thought she saw flames dancing in her dark eyes.</p>
<p>She wanted to deny it, defend Eric against these accusations, but in all honesty she knew that Eric had done much worse and called it fun. She breathed out slowly.</p>
<p>"And the second one, he came with soft words and promises of peace and safety only to turn around and attack us," Antonia continued, gesticulating angrily.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry. And I'm sure you have good reasons to be angry, to feel like you can't trust them."</p>
<p>"If you understand, join us. Help us. Killing them is the only way to protect ourselves," Antonia urged, her silhouette flickering as she moved closer again.</p>
<p>"How many will have to die for you to feel safe again?" Liv asked softly, taking a step sideways to keep the length of a table between them, glad that Debbie wordlessly followed her lead.</p>
<p>"They're already dead, nothing more than walking corpses," Antonia insisted, making no secret of her disgust. "They laugh at the miracle of life. We must restore the sacred power of creation to this wounded earth. That is our only hope. Snuff them out! Once and for all!"</p>
<p>Liv curled her hands into fists, biting her tongue to keep herself from telling Antonia just how wrong she was about that. It would probably only serve to throw fuel on the fire – and the situation already seemed explosive enough without that.</p>
<p>"I'm a nurse, a healer. And you are talking about war," she said instead, pleadingly, withdrawing further towards the main room and Marnie and Sookie.</p>
<p>"So was I, a long time ago. I helped people, bandaged wounds and set bones, treated illnesses and served as a midwife. But then we were beset by a strange sickness, a fever that knew no cure, and I turned to witchcraft to save my village," Antonia said, her voice soft and wistful before it suddenly turned into a poisonous hiss, "They burnt me at the stake for it. I didn't start this war. But I will end it."</p>
<p>Liv could hear the resolve in her voice, see the determination in her eyes, and quietly buried the last kernel of hope that Antonia might be willing to reverse the spells she had put on Eric and Bill and work on a peaceful solution. She tugged on Debbie's jacket again, bumping her hip against one of the tables and rattling the display of singing bowls and glass figurines.</p>
<p>Marnie turned towards them with a perturbed look and Liv murmured an apology, trying to catch Sookie's gaze. "I'm sorry, but we really should get going."</p>
<p>"Yes," Debbie agreed immediately. "We have those reservations, remember?"</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Sookie didn't catch on as quickly. "But Marnie's helping me to talk to my Gran. She was just telling me something about Bill."</p>
<p>Liv could see Antonia hovering at the edge of her vision, still a few paces away and seeming more curious than threatening. She didn't think that Antonia would attack them, at least not without provocation, since her anger was clearly directed at vampires, but she hadn't missed the drop in temperature and the rise in Antonia's temper when she had mentioned her friendship with Eric. And now Sookie wanted to get advice on her relationship with her vampire lover.</p>
<p>"Uh." Marnie cocked her head as if she was listening to something. "She says, uh, she says she likes Bill, but only you can decide if he's the right one for you. Uh, if he can give you the life you want."</p>
<p>"That's great, real helpful and all. Sookie, we need to go," Debbie said again, but Sookie wasn't listening.</p>
<p>She had grabbed onto Marnie's hand and was holding on tightly, a look of intense concentration on her pretty face even as Marnie started to shift in agitation.</p>
<p>"What? No! How could I be a danger to someone? I have never hurt anybody!" Marnie exclaimed as something cold brushed past Liv and her world erupted into fire and pain.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Danza ritual del fuego</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p><i><span class="u">Disclaimer:</span> This chapter also introduces some characters from Charlaine Harris' </i>Midnight, Texas<i> series and the corresponding TV series. They, too, belong to Charlaine Harris or their respective copyright owners. I still don't make any money with this.</i></p>
<p><i><span class="u">Author's Note:</span> Hello, my dears, how are you this fine day? If you haven't read my disclaimer, please note that this chapter includes some characters from </i>Midnight, Texas<i>, but I don't think you need any knowledge of the series to follow along. So: Enjoy!</i></p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>11. Danza ritual del fuego – El amor brujo – Manuel de Falla</strong>
</p>
<p>Godric was holding her, one arm wrapped securely around her waist, his chest rising and falling with regular, deep breaths and his familiar earthy scent gradually replacing the stench of smoke and burning flesh. He was carefully dabbing her burning forehead with a cool washcloth, a trickle of water rolling down her cheek and touching her lips. She gasped, coughed, clutching his arm and trying to claw her way back to reality. Godric called her name and she nodded jerkily, finding his eyes and looking at him with a plea in her own, their hands almost touching over her belly.</p>
<p>"You're okay, I promise," Godric assured her, gently caressing his fingers over her middle before handing her a small note. "From Dr. Ludwig. She said that you need rest, but that you're going to be okay."</p>
<p>She nodded, puffing out a breath of relief that turned into a cough. "Water, please."</p>
<p>Godric shifted her gently and a moment later lifted a full glass of water to her lips, helping her to take small sips. She rested her cheek against his chest again as she unfolded Patricia's note with shaky fingers, finding a scrawled list of her vital signs and the baby's heart rate, followed by a few terse instructions.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>Rest 12h, monitor temp., bpm - call in case of bleeding, stomach pain, dizziness etc. Avoid repetition!</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>She sighed, rereading the list to make sure that her blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate were all where they should be. Her body temperature was a little too high, but that was to be expected; she could still feel the flames eating away at her flesh.</p>
<p>"Liv?" Godric asked carefully, pulling her back into the shelter of his arms when she shuddered. "Stay with me."</p>
<p>"I'm here," Liv replied, forcing her eyes open again and trying to push back the images that still flashed through her mind, the heat of the pyre, the shackles on her wrists, the feeling of cruel hands on her skin.</p>
<p>Their home, the familiar décor of their living room, the concerned faces of her friends, all seemed far away and blurry in contrast. She looked back down at Patricia's note, held onto Godric's arm and reminded herself of what was important, what was real while she tried to piece together what had happened.</p>
<p>"What the hell happened?" Debbie demanded, a growl in her voice. "One minute you were talking to thin air and then you just collapsed… started seizing. I thought… I thought you were going to die."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Debbie," Liv murmured with a wince. "There was a ghost."</p>
<p>"Is this another one of your tall tales that we're just supposed to accept at face value, without proof or even a reasonable explanation?" Bill sneered, which garnered him a low growl from Debbie and a flash of fangs from Eric. Liv was touched by their protectiveness, but when she looked at Bill, she could only feel pity. He looked absolutely horrible; his skin was ashy grey and sagging and there was a gaping wound on his forehead, a chunk of flesh missing from his cheek, the remaining tissue discolored with necrosis. She suddenly understood Sookie's urgency.</p>
<p>"I question your premise that you should be entitled to anything regarding Liv," Godric said mildly, resting a hand on Eric's shoulder. "I advise you to reconsider your position."</p>
<p>"But perhaps a bit more context would be helpful," Sophie-Anne suggested airily, arching one eyebrow at Liv. "I didn't think I needed to tell <strong>you</strong> not to poke the sleeping dragon…"</p>
<p>"It was my idea," Sookie spoke up, maybe with a touch of guilt in her voice, but mostly with barely masked anger at the queen. "Bill needs help, not that any of you lot care."</p>
<p>"Ah, yes, of course, because that's your raison d'être," Sophie-Anne commented before turning back to Liv. "And you thought to accompany her?"</p>
<p>"Liv tried to talk her out of it," Debbie protested. "Sookie wouldn't listen."</p>
<p>"I was hardly to know that this would happen!" Sookie replied angrily. "And I wasn't the one who picked a fight with a fucking ghost!"</p>
<p>"It wasn't a fight. I think she just came a little too close to me when she was trying to get to Marnie," Liv murmured, remembering the cold wash of air that had hit her moments before she had been sucked into her visions. "She wasn't trying to hurt me. She wants to protect us – from vampires."</p>
<p>Godric's hold on her became impossibly more gentle, more careful, questioning, ready to draw back at her tiniest indication that she wanted to be let go. She pressed closer instead, against his cool chest and into the safety of his arms, feeling him breathe the softest kiss against her temple. An unvoiced question, mirrored on all of their faces.</p>
<p>But she didn't know where to start, how to even begin to put things into an order that made sense; how to talk about her visions as if she had merely watched a slightly too graphic documentary on the history channel. As if she didn't know what it had felt like, how Antonia had suffered, in excruciating, soul-stripping detail.</p>
<p>Eric disappeared for a second and when he returned he offered her a fresh glass of water, smiling shyly when she accepted it, and then slipped back down to sit on the floor next to her feet, lightly resting his head against her thigh. "I know I must have done a lot of horrible things in all those centuries I don't remember, but I promise, you will never need protecting from me, little dove."</p>
<p>Liv smiled despite herself, reaching out to run her fingers gently through Eric's soft blond hair. "I know that, Eric. Of course, I know."</p>
<p>Eric grinned up at her as if that had been all he needed to hear. And maybe it was, though Sophie-Anne was clearly of a different mindset, the clack-clack-clack of her manicured, red-painted fingernails against the small side table too slow and deliberate as that they could be construed as anything but a prompt to move the conversation along.</p>
<p>"I think she was the one to cast those spells on Eric and Bill," Liv offered. "She felt threatened and thought they were going to hurt Marnie so she intervened."</p>
<p>"But my gran said that Marnie was dangerous!" Sookie protested. "I heard her voice clear as a bell in Marnie's head and she told me to run."</p>
<p>"Have you seen or heard anything that would support that claim?" Sophie-Anne asked in a mostly neutral tone, though Sookie still bristled. "If her attempts to heal Eric are any indication, Marnie's magical talents are rather on the modest side."</p>
<p>"She cursed Bill, as you so conveniently like to forget," Sookie snapped, waving her hands angrily.</p>
<p>"Sookie." Bill reached out to her, but then dropped his hand before he made contact; even from across the room, Liv could see that the necrosis had spread to the rest of body, his fingertips blackened, his arms and the backs of his hands covered in boils and festering wounds. "I should never have involved you in this. You wanted to be free of all the pain and darkness I brought into your life. I'm death, Sookie, and now I wear it on the outside for all to see."</p>
<p>"Don't talk like that," Sookie retorted. "I never said I wanted to be free of you! I said I needed time to think because I wanted to be sure of my decision and I am. I love you and we will fix this, so stop talking like you've already given up. It doesn't suit you."</p>
<p>"I think it suits him just fine," Eric commented in a whisper, peering up at Godric and Liv. "He seems rather broody."</p>
<p>The words had been spoken soft enough that Sookie had missed them, but Bill threw them a murderous glare and Liv squeezed her eyes shut and pressed herself against Godric's chest as a remnant of her vision flickered through her mind.</p>
<p>"Liv?"</p>
<p>"I'm going to be sick," Liv choked out, the bile rising in her throat, her body seizing and her muscles locking in remembered pain and terror.</p>
<p>She felt Godric scoop her up, protectively cradling her to his chest as he sped her to the nearest bathroom. His gentle hand on her back as she heaved up her lunch over the toilet bowl, his soft words of reassurance in her ear. It helped, if only a little. When the nausea passed, Godric lifted her to her feet and carefully steered her to the sink so that she could rinse out her mouth before he maneuvered her to sit down on the closed toilet seat. He dropped down to his knees in front of her and just regarded her quietly.</p>
<p>The silence was a balm to her soul and Liv felt herself relax gradually, her breathing coming a little easier, her hands unknotting from the tight fists they had been curled into. She was glad that Godric had closed the bathroom door on the others because she knew she needed to tell them what she had seen, what Antonia had told her, but she didn't think she could find the words with Bill glaring daggers at her, Sophie-Anne's blasé air of superiority, Sookie's volatile temper and Debbie's and Eric's protectiveness. But Godric was calm, offering his support without demanding anything in return. And she knew he would understand, perhaps better than anyone.</p>
<p>"She was in a cell with maybe five or six other women. They'd all been arrested for using witchcraft to save the people of their village. She said that there had been a fever, that none of their usual remedies had worked," she whispered finally. "It was cold and bare, not even straw to cover the hard stone floor, just dust. They were so scared, Godric, but they still tried to give each other courage."</p>
<p>Godric made a small sound and carefully rested his hands on her knees, starting to rub soothing circles against her thighs.</p>
<p>Liv took a deep breath, smelled the smoke again, and continued, "Then the men came, dragged them off one by one. I didn't see what happened to them, but we could hear their screams and when they were brought back, their clothes were torn and they were covered in bite marks and bruises. And the men just laughed and took the next one.</p>
<p>"When they got to her, they dragged her to another cell where they strung her up by her wrists and…" She broke off, hugging her arms around herself and squeezing her eyes shut; Godric's arms closed around her a moment later, ready to shield her from anything and everything that might do her harm. If only he could offer her protection from the demons in her mind.</p>
<p>"One of them said that the fear would make her blood taste sweeter, so they tortured her, raped her. But she just… she wouldn't give them the satisfaction. She cursed them, spat at them, told them that they would burn for their sins. And they just laughed." Liv buried her wet face against Godric's chest, trying to stifle her sobs, trying to silence the echoes of their jeering. "They burnt her at the stake the next day."</p>
<p>"Oh, Liv," Godric murmured, cradling her gently in his arms. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."</p>
<p>"It must have been during the Middle Ages, the Spanish Inquisition?" Liv offered quietly when she had managed to calm herself again. "The vampires, they were dressed as priests and taunted her with bible verses. The one in charge looked older, maybe in his sixties or seventies, with white hair and a full beard. He mostly just watched and gave instructions. But the other one, Godric, I recognized him: He's the sheriff of Area 3."</p>
<p>Liv startled at the sudden commotion outside the safety of the bathroom, Sookie's voice filtering through the door in demand of answers.</p>
<p>"Liv," Godric said, his forehead creased with worry lines. "Did she tell you her name?"</p>
<p>"Antonia. Antonia Gavilán de Logroño," Liv replied, not liking the muttered curses she could hear from the other side of the bathroom door or the stony expression on Godric's face.</p>
<p>"That's what I've been afraid of," Godric murmured with a deep sigh. "The witch trials of the Inquisition were a dark period and though most of those accused and executed for the crimes of sorcery and witchcraft were not possessed of magic, there were a handful of notable exceptions."</p>
<p>"And Antonia was one of those exceptions?" Liv asked carefully.</p>
<p>Godric nodded. "Eric and I were not in Western Europe at that time, but we heard the accounts and what happened in Logroño should serve as a cautionary tale for all of us. The vampires you saw in your vision were part of a faction that embedded themselves with the Spanish Inquisition and the Catholic church as both provided a cover for their own sinister agenda. From what I understand, they were well aware that Antonia was not only a witch but a necromancer, and yet in their pride they dismissed her threats, believing that she would prove no more dangerous than the countless other victims of their depravity. But when she stood on the pyre, when the flames were already starting to consume her, she cast a spell that pulled all vampires from their sleep and into the light of day."</p>
<p>Liv sucked in a sharp breath, instinctively reaching out to Godric. "All vampires?"</p>
<p>"Within 20 miles," Godric answered softly, seriously. "Close to a hundred vampires met the sun that day."</p>
<p>"She was chanting something. I thought it was a prayer," Liv admitted, trying to remember something besides the pain, the terror. The fire.</p>
<p>Godric pressed a kiss into her hair before he cocked his head, listening to something one of the others must have said. He gently pulled her to her feet. "If you feel up to it, I think the queen would like to ask you some questions."</p>
<p>"Okay, just give me a minute to brush my teeth," Liv murmured.</p>
<p>"Eric will get your toothbrush from upstairs," Godric offered and a moment later there was a soft knock on the door, Eric holding out the requested item as well as a tube of toothpaste with a hopeful smile.</p>
<p>"Is there anything else I can bring you, Liv?"</p>
<p>"No, thank you," Liv replied, squeezing Eric's arm in gratitude and then turning towards the sink. "I'll be right out."</p>
<p>Eric left, but Godric remained at her side, pulling her into a gentle kiss and his tender embrace when she was done brushing her teeth. "Ready, cridiíon imon? Or would you rather lay down for a bit?"</p>
<p>"I'm fine, love," Liv assured him, knowing that anything else was not an option while they still had a living room full of company. She breathed a soft kiss against Godric's cheek. "And I do have some questions of my own."</p>
<p>"And I'll be happy to entertain them," Sophie-Anne greeted her as they rejoined the others. "Just as soon as you have answered mine. Now, are you sure it was Luis you saw torturing the witch?"</p>
<p>"If Luis is the sheriff of Area 3, then yes," Liv said quietly, sitting back down on the sofa. "I saw him in Eric's office once, but Eric never mentioned his name and I didn't ask."</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne inclined her head to acknowledge her words before she continued her questioning, "Did Antonia tell you anything about what she was planning?"</p>
<p>Liv thought briefly, but then shook her head. "I don't know what she means to do exactly, but I could feel her anger, her hatred of vampires and I don't think she's ready to let go of either."</p>
<p>"So I'm assuming peace talks are out of the question?"</p>
<p>"Whatever you offered, she wouldn't trust you to keep to your word," Liv replied reluctantly.</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne gave a sigh of annoyance and elegantly threw herself into one of the armchairs. "That's inauspicious."</p>
<p>"What's that supposed to mean?" Sookie demanded, perched on the armrest of Bill's chair.</p>
<p>"Ominous, unfortunate, unpromising?" the queen replied, arching a finely sculpted eyebrow when Sookie reinforced her glare.</p>
<p>"I know what 'inauspicious' means! I'm asking what you're planning to do about this mess!"</p>
<p>"I've been wondering that too, your majesty," Liv offered carefully when Sophie-Anne didn't seem interested in answering Sookie, hoping that she would be able to defuse at least this situation. "If Antonia is still as powerful now than when she was alive, how can you protect yourself from her magic?"</p>
<p>"In your case, by staying as far away as possible," Sophie-Anne replied tartly, throwing Godric a look. "I trust you will make sure of that."</p>
<p>Under other circumstances, Liv might have been offended. But she knew that this was standard protocol and rather than being a slight to Liv's ability to make her own decisions, Sophie-Anne's words were a sign that she respected her relationship with Godric and had no intention of challenging his claim on her. So Liv made sure to look to Godric first before she gave the queen a small nod of acknowledgement, feeling Godric press a soft kiss into her hair.</p>
<p>"The problem, of course, is not that we're dealing with a ghost," the queen expounded, waving her hand when Sookie made to interrupt. "But that she has already found a willing medium to host her spirit."</p>
<p>"Then we need to prevent Marnie from inviting her into her body again. Without her, Antonia will not be able to wield her powers," Bill said, and Liv felt herself tense at the implication, even though she understood that from an objective viewpoint Bill's suggestion was only logical.</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne hummed thoughtfully, casting her gaze across the assembled people in their living room. Liv wondered what she made of their ragtag group - four vampires, a werewolf, a fairy and a banshee, trying to decide on an actionable plan to deal with a ghost witch. It was all just a little too fantastical for her tastes, and at the same time too real. Eric had lost his memory, Bill was rotting from the inside out and Antonia had vowed vengeance for the injustices she had suffered in her lifetime and Liv couldn't imagine any way forward that wouldn't result in further bloodshed and pain.</p>
<p>Godric sensed her unease, of course, carefully gathering her closer against his side and feathering his hand protectively against her middle, a reminder that she need not worry about witches or anything else as long as he was there and that there was a more worthwhile focus for her energy. She twisted around for a soft, slightly apologetic kiss, because as much as she knew that he was right, she also knew that it just wasn't in her to stop worrying. Godric quirked her a smile full of understanding before they turned their attention back to Sophie-Anne and Bill, who were debating their next steps.</p>
<p>Liv had nothing to add to that discussion, but Godric offered some suggestions and polite alternatives to what had been proposed, siding with Bill when he raised the idea of sending human guards to take Marnie into custody but arguing against an overly aggressive show of force.</p>
<p>"We should do everything to avoid a further escalation and if Marnie feels threatened there's a likely chance that Antonia will step in to protect her again," Godric pointed out.</p>
<p>The queen agreed with his assessment, but there were still further discussions on how many men to send in and what their instructions should be and what to tell the other vampire sheriffs when they would meet the next evening. Liv listened, but she couldn't say that she paid very close attention, too preoccupied with trying to dial down her worries and the terror she still felt burning underneath her skin to a more manageable level.</p>
<p>She was glad when Sophie-Anne finally declared that she had a camera team waiting for her – something about shooting a commercial for a Festival of Tolerance the AVL was planning to host in the fall – and took her leave. The others followed soon after, Debbie offering her a tight, careful hug and heartfelt well-wishes and Sookie accepting one of Patricia's business cards from her. Liv wasn't sure if Bill would be willing to let them try and help with his condition, but once they were out of the door she still called Patricia on the phone, both to inquire about her own health and to give Patricia a heads-up concerning their potential new patient. Patricia had several stern words for her, but didn't seem overly worried and when she heard about Bill's case her mood changed into one of almost unholy glee. Liv couldn't tell whether it was the prospect of a medical challenge or the thought of a hefty doctor's bill that had aroused her enthusiasm – probably a combination of both.</p>
<p>Godric's arms closed gently around her when she had hung up, the whisper of a kiss against her temple. She buried against him, slinging her own arms around his waist and trying to feel safe. "I can still feel all of it, the fire, the smoke in my lungs, their hands on my skin. I want it to stop. Please make it stop."</p>
<p>She regretted her words immediately, not because they weren't true, but because there was nothing Godric could really do and she knew that would upset him. She felt the prick of tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"Shh, cridiíon imon, don't be," Godric murmured, holding her tighter and trying to contain the trembles of her body.</p>
<p>"I shouldn't have gone in there," Liv mumbled.</p>
<p>"You couldn't have known what would happen," Godric refuted. "You wanted to support your friend. None of this is your fault."</p>
<p>She shook her head, shook apart in his grasp as she lost the battle against her tears, everything becoming too much, too painful to bear. Everything that had happened in her vision – not to her, but still too close to separate it neatly from her own reality – everything that Godric had told her about the terrible might of Antonia's magic, everything that had been discussed, everything that still left her petrified with overwhelming fear.</p>
<p>Godric murmured soothing nothings in her ear, gently caressing his hands along her back and arms, but mostly just held her and offered her his silent, unconditional support until she had regained at least a modicum of composure. When she drew back with a sniff and angrily tried to wipe away her tears, he pulled out a handkerchief from somewhere and gave it her with a kind smile.</p>
<p>"You're allowed to cry, Liv."</p>
<p>"It still doesn't feel right," Liv confessed "It didn't happen to me and yet here I am feeling sorry for myself."</p>
<p>"This isn't any less real to you because you experienced it through your visions," Godric pointed out reasonably. "I wish I could take this pain from you, but your empathy is one of the qualities I admire and love the most about you. I would worry if that ever changed."</p>
<p>Liv pulled in a shaky breath, dashing away a few errant tears but trying herself on a small smile. She noted Eric out of the corner of her eye, hovering uncertainly in the doorway. She wished he would just join them, wrap both of them in his arms like he normally would have. She reached a hand out to him, hoping he would read the plea in her eyes and only realizing that her gesture might have been a little misleading when Godric intercepted Eric before he could grasp her hand.</p>
<p>"I think it's best if we avoid skin contact for now," Godric explained gently.</p>
<p>"But I do like hugs," Liv added hopefully.</p>
<p>Eric nodded earnestly and then very carefully folded his long arms around them, sandwiching Liv between the two vampires. It was more effective, more calming than even a long hot shower or a few hours locked in the solitude of her room would have been. She breathed out slowly, breathed in their familiar, mingled scents.</p>
<p>"Thank you."</p>
<p>"Anytime," they replied in unison, which startled a short, honest laugh out of her.</p>
<p>"I'm lucky to have in my life," she said softly. "You give me strength."</p>
<p>Godric leaned down to place a feather light kiss against the crown of her head and a moment later she felt Eric mirror the gesture, which made her smile again. The memory of her vision wasn't gone and neither were their problems, but with Godric and Eric by her side she felt at least equipped and ready to deal with all of it in a constructive manner.</p>
<p>"Could she really do it again? Force all vampires out into the daylight?" she asked, gratefully dropping down on the kitchen chair Godric had pulled out for her, though she declined his offer of dinner.</p>
<p>Godric hummed thoughtfully, getting a tin of crackers from one of the upper shelves while Eric poured her a fresh glass of water. "I'm afraid we have to assume so. Ghosts draw their energy from the emotions that keep them tethered to this plane, be they positive or negative. The stronger these emotions are, the more powerful the ghosts will be."</p>
<p>Liv sighed. "And Antonia is very, very angry."</p>
<p>"Understandably so," Godric replied softly, lightly caressing her back as he slipped into the seat next to her. "But as the queen said, Antonia will need a conduit to exact her vengeance on us. Perhaps Marnie can be convinced that she doesn't want to be a part of this, after all."</p>
<p>"But that won't solve the problem. At best, it will buy us some time," Liv pointed out in a whisper. "Even if Sophie-Anne can manage to dissuade Marnie, Antonia will eventually find another medium willing to help her. After last year, she won't have to look far to find someone who shares her hatred of vampires."</p>
<p>"What happened last year?" Eric asked, looking from Liv and Godric with a furrowed brow.</p>
<p>"It's a rather complicated story, but it culminated in Russell Edgington, a vampire supremacist, killing a news anchor in front of a large audience," Godric explained. "Public opinion of us has been rather unfavorable since then."</p>
<p>"Oh," Eric murmured, for a moment looking truly crestfallen.</p>
<p>"Not everyone thinks like that," Liv assured him, lightly stroking his arm before turning back to Godric, who softly echoed her earlier sigh.</p>
<p>"There are ways to deal with ghosts and vengeful spirits, though none that are readily available to us," he admitted, a pensive expression on his eternally young face. "But I know someone who might be able and willing to offer some assistance. Could you help me to make a call please?"</p>
<p>He held out his phone to her with a beseeching look.</p>
<p>"Of course. Whom do you want me to call?" Liv agreed immediately, opening Godric's contacts.</p>
<p>The list was surprisingly extensive, considering that Godric never really called anyone besides Liv and even then preferred to ask Eric for his help.</p>
<p>"Lemuel Bridger. But I don't have his number," Godric replied, sounding a little doubtful if he had chosen the right words; Liv found herself smiling a little. "We'll have to call King Theodore first. He'll know how to reach Lemuel."</p>
<p>"Okay, we can do that," Liv assured him, scrolling through the contacts while she mulled over why the name sounded so familiar. "Lemuel… Is he the vampire who feeds on energy instead of blood? You told me about him some time ago, didn't you?"</p>
<p>Godric nodded. "I think he sometimes drinks blood as well, but he doesn't need it to survive. It makes him an oddity among our kind and he prefers to keep his distance from other vampires. But we've met a few times over the years and we've always had a good rapport. And he still lives in Theodore's kingdom, so Theodore will know how to reach him."</p>
<p>Liv nodded, dialing King Theodore's number and deciding to hold her question how exactly Lemuel might be able to help until later. The phone rang a few times and Liv put the call on speaker before the line was picked up by a man with a jolly voice and a heavy Texan accent.</p>
<p>"Godric. Well, this is a surprise," he drawled, chuckling. "To what do I owe this unexpected honor? How's that little lady of yours?"</p>
<p>"Hello, Theodore," Godric replied, smiling when Liv started to nibble on one of the crackers. "We're fine, thank you. Liv is helping me to make this call."</p>
<p>"I was wondering…" Theodore chuckled again. "Greetings, Miss Liv."</p>
<p>"Hello, your majesty," Liv answered politely. "I hope we didn't call at a bad time."</p>
<p>"Oh, not at all. So what can I do you for? Planning another visit to my kingdom? You know you're always welcome here."</p>
<p>"Thank you, I appreciate that. But I don't mean to cause you any trouble with the Authority," Godric said softly. "However, I need to speak to Lemuel Bridger. Could I ask you for his contact information?"</p>
<p>"Lemuel? He's still in that dead-end town, Midnight, isn't he?" Theodore asked, mostly rhetorically. "Haven't heard from him in a while, but that's nothing unusual. Likes to keep to himself – which is probably for the best, if we're being honest. What do you need him for? Is this about those rumors I heard about witches?"</p>
<p>"It's not just witches, unfortunately," Godric answered before giving Theodore a quick rundown of their working theory though he did not include Eric's memory loss and only vaguely mentioned that two vampires had already been cursed.</p>
<p>Theodore hummed thoughtfully. "Doesn't sound good," he finally agreed. "I understand why you'd want to talk to Lemuel. Are you sure you don't want to speak to him in person, though?"</p>
<p>"I can't leave here, not right now," Godric replied. "Eric needs me and Liv… Liv is pregnant. We're having a baby."</p>
<p>There was a long, speaking silence on the other end of the line, long enough for Godric to fully appreciate the surprise on her face and the look of renewed confusion on Eric's. He shrugged minutely, giving her arm a light, reassuring squeeze.</p>
<p>"How?" Theodore finally asked, nearly inflectionless.</p>
<p>"We used something called artificial insemination. It's a new technique humans have invented to help couples who wish for a child," Godric explained readily. "Liv is in her second trimester, so we decided we wanted to start telling people about our little miracle."</p>
<p>"I see," Theodore said in a tone of voice that suggested that he really didn't; then he laughed and gave a low whistle. "You're one damn lucky bastard, you know that? Artificial insemination, you say? I wouldn't come out with all my body parts attached if I ever suggested something like that to my old lady…"</p>
<p>"Maybe if you didn't call her 'old lady'," Godric suggested mildly and Theodore gave another raucous laugh.</p>
<p>"Nah, she likes that - it's our little inside joke. But still… your Liv is something special."</p>
<p>"She is that," Godric agreed solemnly.</p>
<p>"Well, congratulations. And thank you for sharing the good news with me. I hope you'll stop by for a visit soon and introduce me to your family? Once this situation in Shreveport is resolved, of course," Theodore replied with enough sincerity that Liv felt herself relax. He then rattled off a phone number, too quickly as that Liv could even attempt to write it down. "Tell Lemuel to give whatever assistance he can."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Theodore," Godric said gratefully.</p>
<p>"Uh huh," the vampire king replied and hung up.</p>
<p>"I didn't expect you to tell him about my pregnancy," Liv said carefully. "I thought you didn't want any vampires to know about it."</p>
<p>"You told me it was a secret," Eric added in agreement.</p>
<p>"Maybe too much so," Godric admitted softly, placing his hand gently on her middle. "I would do anything to keep you and the baby safe, Liv, and I thought keeping this a secret, for as long as possible, was the best way to do so. But after what the queen said to you, I'm not so convinced anymore."</p>
<p>"If we don't have anything to hide, why are we hiding?" Liv murmured and Godric nodded.</p>
<p>"I should have discussed it with you beforehand," Godric said. "I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Liv shrugged and slipped into Godric's lap because she just wanted to feel closer to him. He immediately wrapped her in the protective shelter of his arms and pressed a soft kiss into her hair before he focused on Eric.</p>
<p>"We still mustn't tell anyone how this baby was conceived. It would put Liv and the baby in grave danger."</p>
<p>Eric nodded earnestly, timidly placing his hand on her shoulder. "I promise I will keep our secret. And we won't let anyone hurt you, not even this ghost."</p>
<p>"My heroes," Liv whispered with a fond smile, gently touching Eric's cheek. "Thank you."</p>
<p>Eric beamed at her before he reached for the phone. "Should we call this Lemuel guy?"</p>
<p>Godric nodded against her head and Eric started entering the numbers, vampire memory seeming to serve him well where Liv's own powers of recollection had deserted her. Eric put the phone on speaker again and there was a crackle in the line before it was picked up.</p>
<p>"Midnight Pawn, how may I help you?" the voice was deep and husky, the words enunciated slowly and carefully as if even this generic greeting carried considerable weight.</p>
<p>"Lemuel?" Godric replied, leaning forward to stare at the device.</p>
<p>"Godric," Lemuel said. "I thought you hated phones."</p>
<p>"I'm not very good with them, but I had some assistance," Godric admitted. "And I now require yours."</p>
<p>"Tell me," Lemuel replied simply and Godric once more explained the situation, not leaving anything out this time.</p>
<p>Lemuel listened in silence, absolute silence at least to Liv's human hearing, but when Godric finished, he answered promptly, "I would not be of much use to you in this situation. I cannot take energy from ghosts."</p>
<p>"But maybe some of your neighbors might be able to offer advice," Godric gave back.</p>
<p>Lemuel hummed thoughtfully. "Fiji might be able to help restore Eric's memory. And there is a newcomer in Midnight, a medium, he might have some idea how to deal with this ghost. Let me call you back."</p>
<p>"I'm in Shreveport," Godric offered. "And the phone is on the kitchen table."</p>
<p>Laughter filtered over the line and Liv smothered her own smile against Godric's neck. "He doesn't need that information, love."</p>
<p>"No, I don't," Lemuel answered, apparently having heard her even though her words had been nothing more than a whisper. "But I have your number."</p>
<p>He hung up without further ado and Liv breathed a soft kiss against Godric's cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."</p>
<p>Godric tucked a curl of her hair behind her ear. "I'm glad I could make you smile, cridiíon imon. Even if it was unintentional."</p>
<p>"You'll always be able to make me smile." Liv kissed him again, this time on the mouth, giving a little moan when Godric nibbled playfully on her bottom lip and caressed his fingers over her throat.</p>
<p>"I'm a lucky man," Godric murmured, blowing another kiss against her lips before cradling her back against his chest. "How are you feeling, Liv?"</p>
<p>"Better," Liv declared after a brief moment of consideration. "Still a little… raw, but better. I'll be fine, I promise. Especially if Lemuel and his friends can offer some assistance."</p>
<p>"Midnight is a sanctuary for all those who do not quite fit in anywhere else," Godric explained. "They all have their secrets and talents, though not all of them are supernaturals. The town wasn't in my jurisdiction when I was sheriff, but Lemuel has a tendency to make other vampires a little uneasy so Theodore asked me to look in on him from time to time. He's always been a good friend."</p>
<p>"He mentioned someone called Fiji?" Eric hazarded.</p>
<p>"A powerful young witch," Godric answered. "Given that it seems unlikely that either Marnie or Antonia will be willing to reverse the curse you're under, I think it's a good idea to explore other options."</p>
<p>"Okay." Eric nodded, huffing out a slow breath and scooting his chair a little closer so that he could lean against Godric's shoulder. "I wish I could remember…"</p>
<p>Godric slid his hand into Eric's soft blond hair, gently cradling his head, and Liv followed suit and all of them snuggled together as they waited for Lemuel to return their call. Liv was grateful for vampire strength and Godric's and Eric's general imperviousness to discomfort because she was sure that their positions wouldn't have been overly comfortable for a normal human.</p>
<p>Lemuel called back maybe half an hour later, the aforementioned Fiji and the medium called Manfred with him. They asked a lot of questions about Eric's lost memories, about what he could remember of the curse that had been used, the sensations he had experienced as well as about Antonia, Manfred wanting to know where and how she was buried, what possible tether to her presence there was in Shreveport and how corporeal she had appeared. None of their answers seemed to be cause for optimism, though.</p>
<p>"I could mix up a potion, combine it with a healing ritual and maybe some crystal magic…" Fiji offered pensively, muttering to herself. "If Eric were human I could fix him up in no time, but with him being a vampire… I'll have to do some research first."</p>
<p>"We understand," Godric said seriously. "I would appreciate it if you could look into it, Miss Cavanaugh."</p>
<p>"Of course, I will let you know as soon as I find something, but it still might take some time," Fiji replied kindly. "As for the witch, I could make your home inhospitable to the dead…"</p>
<p>"But that would include vampires," Lemuel pointed out in his deep, measured voice.</p>
<p>"Right, right, so not an option," Fiji agreed immediately.</p>
<p>"Normally ghosts are tethered to objects – lose the object, lose the ghost - but if Marnie summoned Antonia, all bets are off," Manfred explained. "We can't banish her as long as Marnie is all but holding the door open for her."</p>
<p>"Is there something we can do?" Liv asked hesitantly.</p>
<p>There was a moment of silence, followed by a hushed discussion, before Fiji spoke up again, "We'll look into that as well."</p>
<p>"Thank you," Godric said. "And of course we will pay you for your services, Mr. Bernardo. Though I don't understand what you meant by ''."</p>
<p>"Sorry, it's just, I've got to earn a living, you know?" Manfred replied, slightly sheepishly. "And credit card or wire transfer is fine as well."</p>
<p>Godric didn't look as if that helped clarify things.</p>
<p>"We understand that, don't worry. If you give me your bank details, I'll be happy to send you your fee," Liv intervened. "We have a joint bank account."</p>
<p>"Then we'd best get to work," Manfred declared with new zeal, dictating the required information to Liv, while Fiji mumbled protestations that this wasn't necessary and that she was happy to help them for free since they were friends of Lemuel's. Liv had to do a bit of persuading to assure the witch that their help shouldn't go unrewarded before Fiji volunteered her own bank details. They ended the phone call with promises to keep in contact and though they still didn't have any viable solutions, Liv nonetheless felt a little better knowing that they had such capable allies.</p>
<p>She quickly used Eric's laptop to transfer a generous amount of money to both Fiji and Manfred while Godric and Eric went outside to water the plants in their garden and – she suspected – to make sure that there were no gaps in their security.</p>
<p>She absentmindedly nibbled on another cracker as she waited for them to come back, trying to convince herself that she should have something more substantial for dinner. But her stomach was still too upset and though she felt calmer now, the memory of her vision lingered in her mind. So instead she went downstairs, taking a quick detour through the living room to pick up her purse. She checked her phone out of habit, finding that she had missed a call from Sookie and that she now had two messages from the other woman.</p>
<p>/Why didn't you tell me you're pregnant!?/</p>
<p>/How?/</p>
<p>Liv huffed out a slow breath, pressing down her resentment that Bill had seemingly spilled another one of her secrets. It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to share the good news with Sookie, but like with Mel she would have preferred for it to be on her terms. She sighed and then started texting, thinking wryly that at least it was easier for her to lie in writing.</p>
<p>After she had got that unpleasant task out of the way, merely sending back a short and rather terse answer, she put her phone aside and instead gathered her pajamas before she went to the bathroom. The thought of a long soak in the tub was tempting, but a glance at the time told her that it was already well past midnight so she opted for a quick shower instead, hoping the pounding water would douse the last of the remembered flames.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Liv startled from her sleep to a phone ringing uncomfortably close to her ear, Godric right next to her when she opened her eyes.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Liv," he murmured, the light of the telephone screen casting blue shadows on his unhappy face. "I tried to make it shut up so that you wouldn't be disturbed, but I don't know how."</p>
<p>"It's okay, love," Liv replied gently, pecking his lips before taking the phone from his hand, Sophie-Anne's caller ID flashing on the screen. "Your majesty?"</p>
<p>"The witch has been taken into custody," Sophie-Anne said, for once getting straight to the point. "We will see if she can be reasoned with tomorrow evening, but for now I'm keeping her under guard."</p>
<p>"Thank you for telling us," Liv said, trying to ignore the pang of guilt and regret that it had had to come to this. "You won't… you won't hurt her. Please."</p>
<p>She heard Sophie-Anne's tinkling laugh over the line. "I see you're feeling better if you're well enough to worry about our upholding of the Geneva Convention."</p>
<p>"Please," Liv whispered again, feeling Godric's strong arm slip around her waist.</p>
<p>"I think you know that I have no inclination for brute force when a more nuanced approach is likely to yield better results," the queen said. It wasn't quite the promise Liv had hoped for, but she knew that it was likely all she was going to get. She had no right to ask for more, not when there was such a credible threat to their safety.</p>
<p>"Thank you," she murmured, suppressing her yawn. "Do you mind if I go back to sleep now?"</p>
<p>Sophie-Anne huffed. "If you must. Let me speak to Godric."</p>
<p>Liv murmured a goodbye and handed the phone over to Godric, closing her eyes and snuggling against his chest. She felt the soft reverberations of his voice against her cheek, let his voice lull her back into a light doze.</p>
<p>She woke again briefly when Godric pulled the comforter up over her shoulders, his fingers burying gently into her hair.</p>
<p>"Is everything okay?" she whispered. "Where's Eric?"</p>
<p>"He's talking with Pam," Godric murmured soothingly. "It's good for them - even if Pam claims to have no patience for these things."</p>
<p>She could see the white flash of his smile and smiled in return, relaxing back into his sure embrace. "She'll find it for Eric, I'm sure, even if she'll do her share of complaining."</p>
<p>Godric hummed in agreement and blew a soft kiss against her forehead before he told her to go back to sleep in a tender whisper, cradling her like she was the most precious thing he'd ever laid eyes on till she fell back into a surprisingly restful sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Imagined Sound of Sun on Stone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>12. The Imagined Sound of Sun on Stone – Sally Beamish</strong>
</p>
<p>"What do you mean, 'Antonia has escaped'?" Liv asked, not sure if she even cared for the answer as she watched Godric with growing horror.</p>
<p>Godric pulled another bag from the deepest bowels of one of their cupboards, the dark canvas bag falling to the ground with a foreboding jingle and joining the two others already on the floor. He then turned to her, sighing softly before he answered, "You know that the queen had taken Marnie into custody and kept her under observation during the day. When we went to question her this evening, Marnie seemed both incapable and unwilling to cooperate. She couldn't offer any information about the spells that were cast on Eric and Bill or how to reverse them. When we shared our suspicions that she had been possessed by a powerful spirit during those times, she seemed… elated."</p>
<p>Godric shook his head softly, exchanging a disturbed look with her. "From her reaction, I think both the queen and I started to suspect that she would not be an ally to us. But we tried to reason with her, tried to convince her that Antonia's plans for revenge were not in line with her own peaceful interpretation of witchcraft."</p>
<p>He sighed again. "None of our arguments seemed to reach her. I think a part of her longs for possession; and another part longs for power.</p>
<p>"When that became clear to us, the queen contacted the Authority and I went home to check on Eric. Marnie was still under guard, but they couldn't prevent her from inviting Antonia into her body. Once Antonia had taken over, they killed two of the vampires present and subjected another to their will so that he would facilitate their escape and bring a message to the queen: Resurrection."</p>
<p>Liv sucked in a harsh breath, feeling her hands start to shake before Godric dropped the fourth – and dear God, she hoped the last – bag carelessly on the floor and gathered her into his arms, gently rubbing her back and humming soothingly.</p>
<p>"It will be all right, cridiíon imon," he promised. "We've been warned and we'll take the necessary precautions. The queen has already alerted all Louisiana sheriffs as well as those from Texas and Arkansas about this threat and every vampire within a 40 mile radius will bind themselves with silver to wait out the day."</p>
<p>"Wouldn't it be better to leave?" Liv asked, trying to get some firmness into her voice even as her body quaked under the assault of her feelings.</p>
<p>Godric lightly shook his head, giving Eric a quick sign to take two of the canvas bags downstairs. "We can't know the extent and reach of Antonia's powers. I would rather stay here where we can prepare and are on our own territory than take Eric somewhere where we might only lull ourselves into a false sense of security and be caught unawares."</p>
<p>"Prepare," Liv whispered, viciously biting her lip. "Okay."</p>
<p>Godric made a small sound of protest and pressed a gentle kiss into her hair before he gave her an ironic little smile. "I would plead with you to let us handle this and offer to take you to one of your friends, but I don't think I would have much luck, would I?"</p>
<p>"You know me better than that," Liv agreed, pulling in a long shuddering breath and then straightening her shoulders and matter-of-factly brushing away her tears. "I'm not leaving you to face this alone and just so we're clear, you're not allowed to leave me either."</p>
<p>Godric grinned at her, blowing his cool breath against her cheek. "I wouldn't dare, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>"Good," Liv said, leaning in for a gentle peck of lips. The image that sprung forth wasn't quite a vision, it was a mere snapshot, a fragment as yet without context; but the view she caught of Marnie standing in a circle of her followers, surrounded by candles and the darkened backroom of her shop, her fist pressed against her heart, her mouth opened as if in a chant, was enough to make her feel like an icy hand was clenching around her heart. Then this one image was swept away in a storm of the familiarly horrible scenes from Godric's last moments as a human, blood and teeth and unfathomable cruelty.</p>
<p>She became aware of the long, hard lines of Eric's body pressed against her back, Godric's arms wrapped gently around her middle with her head tucked safely beneath his chin. "It's not just a hypothetical anymore," she pressed out in a whisper. "She's going to cast the spell. I know it."</p>
<p>"And we'll be ready when she does," Godric replied simply. "Do you want to come downstairs with us, Liv?"</p>
<p>Liv nodded, reluctantly slipping out of their protective embrace. "In a moment. I just want to check in with Pam first and call Patricia to let her know that I won't be in for work."</p>
<p>"Take your time. We still have almost an hour till sunrise," Godric said, swinging up the two remaining bags as if they weighed nothing. He gave her an encouraging, almost carefree smile before he gently nudged Eric to come with him.</p>
<p>Liv took a few deep breaths, but then gathered her resolve. She made the two calls and also talked briefly with Sophie-Anne to pass on the additional warning she had received through her vision. Afterwards, she got the fully stocked first-aid kit from the bathroom closet and two six-packs of Tru Blood from the fridge and followed the two vampires downstairs.</p>
<p>Eric met her at the door and immediately took the Tru Blood from her. "Thank you, Liv. This is very kind of you, but you shouldn't be carrying something so heavy."</p>
<p>"I'm not an invalid, Eric," Liv corrected him gently, studying him for signs of stress or fear. He seemed okay, though, as always taking his cues from Godric, who still radiated a sense of calm and serenity.</p>
<p>"Perhaps you could help Liv carry down some food and snacks for herself," Godric suggested with a soft smile. "I wasn't sure what you would like."</p>
<p>"Of course," Eric agreed readily and so they made another trip upstairs where Liv got some sandwiches and orange juice for herself, as well as some bananas and crackers in case her stomach wouldn't permit her anything else.</p>
<p>It was maybe another half of an hour till sunrise when they were all downstairs, the food and drinks safely stored away in the mini-fridge. Liv entered the number combination to put their house into a complete lockdown. On the screen, the floors secured one by one, from top to bottom, all windows and doors locking and shuttering until their home was a veritable fortress. No-one would be able to get in or out – or that was the hope, at least.</p>
<p>Eric and Godric stripped down to their underwear and normally she would have taken at least a few moments to enjoy the view, but as it stood it was all she could do not to start sobbing and screaming. But when Godric began to bind Eric, heedless of the silver chains that burned his own skin, she swallowed her panic and firmly shooed him off, taking up the heavy chains herself.</p>
<p>The only words spoken were Godric's soft instructions and Liv's whispered apologies as the silver burnt into Eric's fair skin, leaving bloody grooves and sizzling wounds. When Godric finally deemed the bindings sufficient, silver chains crisscrossed Eric's torso, wrapped around his arms and legs and even stretched tightly over his throat. There were still almost twice the amount of chains left for Godric.</p>
<p>Godric checked Eric's bindings one last time before he sat down on the edge of the bed and gently brushed the fringe of Eric's blond hair out of his forehead. "Ta mod till dig. Liv ska vaka över oss.(1)"</p>
<p>"I know," Eric replied with a painful little smile. "I trust you."</p>
<p>"Thank you, child," Godric murmured, leaning over Eric to press a soft kiss to his forehead. "Try to get some rest and don't move too much."</p>
<p>Eric closed his eyes obediently, his large form stilling from head to toe and if it hadn't been for the furrow still edged too deeply between his brows, the slightly strained tilt of his head, the clenched curl of his fingers; if it hadn't been for the chains, Liv would have thought that Eric had truly fallen asleep.</p>
<p>She turned away too, forcing down the scream, the bile, everything that wouldn't help her to do what needed to be done. Godric's hands settled feather light on her waist.</p>
<p>"It'll be all right," he told her again and she really couldn't fathom where he mustered the strength for his sweet, encouraging smile. "Liv, please try not to let this upset you."</p>
<p>"How can I not be upset?" Liv demanded desperately, turning around in his embrace. "I really hate this, Godric."</p>
<p>"I know," Godric admitted, leading her to the bed and settling down next to Eric, careful not to jostle the younger vampire. "But if binding ourselves for one day means that we get to spend the rest of them with you, it's a very small price to pay and one that I will pay gladly."</p>
<p>"Me too," Eric piped up, blinking his eyes open and painfully turning his head to give her a lopsided grin.</p>
<p>Liv sighed. "You two are a lot braver than I could ever be."</p>
<p>Godric laughed with a shake of his head. "You're the only one I would ever trust to bind us like this, cridiíon imon."</p>
<p>"That's a really awful compliment," Liv pointed out, but got the first chain from the bag and fastened it to the lattice work of steel bars Godric and Eric had woven under the mattress and through the bed frame. "Ready?"</p>
<p>She certainly wasn't, but she couldn't make allowances for that now. If binding Eric had been bad, doing it to Godric was infinitely worse. Not because Godric reacted adversely, but because he knew exactly how she should run the silver across his body to keep him pinned and immobilized; because he didn't even wince when the silver burned his skin; because he was just so resigned to the pain. Because he'd been here before and she'd never wanted him to have to relive those memories.</p>
<p>At least she didn't see any more snippets of the future, though the image of Marnie and her coven still lingered, not helped by the harsh impressions of Godric's past that pushed past her defenses much too frequently.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Since she couldn't settle down between Eric and Godric without jostling the chains and causing them more discomfort, she alternated between them, sitting with Godric for a little while, holding his hand and whispering quiet confessions of love, before moving over to Eric, rubbing soothing circles on his arm and telling him a few light-hearted stories about their life together.</p>
<p>Neither vampire said much, but whenever she fell quiet for too long, either one of them would prompt her with a soft query or a pleading look. She wished they could get some rest and preserve their strength, but she knew they were in too much pain for that and as Godric pointed out, weakening them was not just an unwelcome side effect but the main purpose. She cursed in her mind and held onto her composure by sheer force of will.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Hours passed. And nothing happened. It should have given her hope, but instead the dread just kept growing, clawing up her insides and darkening her thoughts.</p>
<p>The first sign, the only sign, before all hell broke loose, was Godric, who had remained still as a statue until then, shifting once underneath the tight bindings with an annoyed, uneasy furrow between his brows.</p>
<p>Then Eric's spine tried to arch, his eyes snapping wide open as he let loose a wordless shout, echoed by Godric less than a fraction of a second later. Liv startled back, instinctively, her heart slamming against her ribcage as if it wanted to burst from her chest and her vision greying out for a moment before she managed to steady herself.</p>
<p>She dropped down on the bed next to Eric, pressing her hands to his chest and trying to push him back into the mattress, trying to keep him from straining against the chains.</p>
<p>"The sun! The sun! Sun!" They were screaming, shouting, calling out while they fought their bindings, throwing themselves against the silver with frantic urgency, heedless of the chains that bit and burned into their skin.</p>
<p>Around her, there was the whipping of an unnatural wind that had entered the safety of their bedchambers and she could feel the currents of magic on her skin, stronger the closer she got to the two vampires, dark and powerful and angry. Her own pleas fell on deaf ears and Eric shouted at her to let him go, that he didn't care if he burned, more aggressive than he had ever been with her. She leaned her full weight on his chest and tried to push him back into the covers, doing her best to ignore his fully extended fangs and his angry shouts.</p>
<p>Godric howled, a sound so aggressive and foreign that for a moment she was convinced that there had to be someone else in the room. He was straining against his own bonds, his torso rubbed bloody and raw underneath the thick silver chains, his wrists almost cut down to the bone. One of the chains shattered with a series of deceptively innocent plinks.</p>
<p>"Godric, please," she cried, easing up on Eric and hastening over to Godric's side. "Please, you have to stay here."</p>
<p>"The sun!" Godric shouted right into her face, echoed by Eric.</p>
<p>She pressed her hands against the chains crisscrossing Godric's chest, but he still strained upwards, hardly seeming to register her presence. She could see the steel bars bending upwards, heard the groan of protesting metal, the chink as another chain link snapped.</p>
<p>"Please, you have to fight it!" Liv pleaded desperately. "It's the spell, you know it's the spell. You can't give into it!"</p>
<p>"Let me go! The sun!" Godric jerked in his bonds and gave another enraged shout, the bed creaking and shuddering as the two vampires threw themselves against the chains with manic abandon.</p>
<p>She wrapped herself around Godric, blanketing him with her own body and wishing that they were still at a point where she could afford to feel bad about pressing the silver deeper into Godric's skin. Godric didn't even seem to notice. She heard another plink and turned to check on Eric, but though he was struggling just as much as Godric, the chains around his body still held secure. It was only Godric's that were snapping like overtightened violin strings.</p>
<p>She just held on, hoping that at least some of her words and pleas might reach him through the fog of this magic, that he might realize, at least subconsciously, that he had to fight this for all their sakes. It was the only thing she could do. There were no more silver chains since most of them were already wound tight around Godric's body, no inch of skin, safe for his face and his fingertips untouched by the ugly restraints or even uglier burn marks.</p>
<p>Something gave. Liv wasn't sure if it was the steel bars underneath the bed or the silver chains that had bound Godric's right side, but once he had regained mobility of one arm, he brushed her off of him, with a strange sort of deliberateness that still sent her tumbling across the bed, made her slam into Eric and bump her head against the blond vampire's chin.</p>
<p>Her head spun and she needed a few precious moments to catch her breath and get her bearings. When she managed to sit up and scramble over Eric, who was still fighting his chains like a man possessed, Godric had already freed himself completely and was at the door, raging against the heavy metal. She approached him cautiously. She could see the craters his fists had already left in the safety door as he sought to break through with single-minded focus. She didn't think the door would last very long under his onslaught.</p>
<p>"Godric," she called firmly and then again when he didn't acknowledge her. "Godric, stop it!"</p>
<p>She moved to his side and reached for his shoulder, trying to make him turn around and look at her. She saw his fully extended fangs, his features contorted into a grimace, the blood all over his body for less than a second before she was swallowed by the vision she had dreaded – not the same, but still so painfully familiar for the bluish flames that engulfed Godric's body.</p>
<p>Her world shattered in a scream, reality fracturing around her as the scene replayed over and over in her mind, small variations pushing her into ever crueler turns and twists as if she was being drawn and quartered. She hardly registered when the visions changed to images no less familiar, no less brutal, but infinitely more reassuring.</p>
<p>"Liv, Liv, oh please, Liv, please, breathe. Just breathe," Godric's voice filtered reluctantly through the cacophony in her mind and she snapped her eyes open with a gasp, shot her hands up to clutch at his arms.</p>
<p>"Godric." She made a wounded sound, grasping desperately to Godric, trying to keep him where he was, to keep him alive. "Don't… don't leave me."</p>
<p>"I won't," Godric promised, slinging his arm gently around her waist and helping her to sit up. "Liv, please…"</p>
<p>He didn't finish, or maybe Liv was too far gone in her panic to hear him. His chest started to rise and fall in a slow rhythm and Liv tried to match her own breathing to his, tried to push down the visions and calm her heartbeat. She knew intellectually that she should let go of Godric, that her visions wouldn't stop until she broke skin contact, but on the inside she was still screaming and she didn't think she could loosen her fingers – not without a crowbar, at least.</p>
<p>Godric noticed her dilemma and gently but firmly took one of her hands off his shoulder, giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze before he led her hand to rest on his hip instead, on the blood-soaked, navy-blue fabric of his boxer briefs. Liv curled her fingers in again, so tightly that they would have left bruises if Godric had been human, trying to steady herself against Godric's unwavering strength.</p>
<p>She didn't know how much time had passed when she finally managed to lift her other hand away from Godric's skin, how long after that till the visions abated and the panic receded enough for her to take in her surroundings. Godric still looked horrible, deathly pale and smeared in blood, but he was still there and his eyes looked clear and lucid.</p>
<p>"I saw you die. You…" Liv bit back her sob of relief and then felt the tears run down her face anyway.</p>
<p>"I know. I'm so sorry, Liv. It was like my mind had been wiped clear of everything but that one thought," Godric murmured, rubbing soothing circles into her back. "I only came to my senses when I heard your scream."</p>
<p>For the first time, Liv noticed that the floor was covered in shards of glass from the broken picture frames and the display case that held some of the treasures and mementos the two vampires had collected over the years. She was almost certain that some of them had shattered as well. There were also splitters of wood from one of the low sideboards, a vaguely Godric-sized sinkhole demarcating where he must have been thrown back from her scream.</p>
<p>"Your scream broke the spell," Godric said softly as if to curtail her guilty feelings. "You saved me, cridiíon imon – again. And I only hope you can forgive me for what I did."</p>
<p>Liv furrowed her brow, reluctantly loosening one of her hands so she could wipe at her tears. "What you did?"</p>
<p>"I screamed at you and I... I threw you across the bed," Godric whispered in a voice of pure regret. "I wasn't myself, but that's no excuse and I understand if -"</p>
<p>"No. I'm not… I'm not upset about that and I… Can we talk about this later, please?" Liv pleaded, feeling the onset of a fresh wave of tears as the aftershocks of her visions quaked through her body.</p>
<p>"Of course, cridiíon imon. Just tell me what you need," Godric agreed immediately, touching her with infinite gentleness as if he was afraid she might shatter. She couldn't fault his assessment.</p>
<p>Eric cleared his throat, loudly. "Not to interrupt, but it's still the middle of the day and I think you should put Godric under silver again in case the witches make another attempt."</p>
<p>Liv pulled in a deep, deep breath and then did her best to get her legs back under her, finally managing with Godric's hands-on assistance.</p>
<p>"You don't have to," Godric murmured, carefully supporting her shaking form.</p>
<p>"No, Eric's right," Liv whispered, before something else registered with her and she snapped her head around. "Eric?!"</p>
<p>"Were you expecting someone else?" Eric asked, lifting his head enough to send her a cheeky grin. "Bit difficult to stage an escape after you've trussed me up like a cut of meat."</p>
<p>"Your scream also broke the spell on Eric," Godric explained with a gentle smile, leading her over to the bed and compelling her to sit down. "Just rest for a moment and keep Eric company."</p>
<p>"Godric," Eric said warningly, all the jocular teasing gone from his voice.</p>
<p>"I'm just going to see which of the chains are still useable," Godric replied placatingly.</p>
<p>But he still went to the fridge first and got a bottle of water for Liv before he moved around the bed and started to sort the silver into two piles. He was moving much more slowly than usual, though still with more speed than any human could have mustered, and the deep gouges in his flesh weren't healing, the tattoos on his arms and chest all but gone under the open wounds and thick rivers of blood.</p>
<p>Eric's fingertips brushed lightly against her thigh, startling her and making her focus on him instead. Truthfully the blond vampire didn't look much better, his skin cast in an ashy hue, dark circles under his eyes and blood running from his ears while the thick ropes of chain wrapped around his body had seared deep valleys into his flesh. But he still sent her a small smirk, his eyes alert and clear with recognition.</p>
<p>"So you got your memories back?" Liv asked in a whisper, the words feeling like glass shards in her throat. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"</p>
<p>"You should scream more often," Eric replied with a grin. "The effects are surprisingly salubrious."</p>
<p>"Not for our furniture," Liv murmured, trying to unscrew the cap from the water bottle with shaking hands.</p>
<p>"Don't worry about that," Eric told her gently, nudging her thigh with his fingertips again. "We can fix all that later. What's important is that we're still safe."</p>
<p>Liv nodded jerkily, suppressing a groan when she felt her head explode with pain, radiating from her temple and tilting her vision upside down. She slammed her eyes shut, but that didn't stop the images. It just meant that they buried forth from the dark crevices of her mind, painted themselves in stark colors against her closed eyelids, fire in her veins, bones disintegrating into dust, unwanted hands roaming her skin.</p>
<p>Godric caught her before she could crumble to the floor, but she only discovered that an indeterminate time later when she managed to push the visions back again and pried her eyes open.</p>
<p>"Hey," Godric called softly, interrupting his whispered discussion with Eric. "Shh, just breathe. You're okay. We're all okay."</p>
<p>Liv tried to calm her breathing, sniff back her tears and checked both Godric and Eric over with her eyes to verify Godric's claim.</p>
<p>"I think you hit your head earlier," Eric said, his voice pitched low. "That can't be helping matters."</p>
<p>"So did you, but you have a thicker skull," Liv mumbled, quirking a fleeting smile when Eric laughed. "I just want to get through this day."</p>
<p>"We will," Godric promised with calm confidence.</p>
<p>"You need to let Liv restrain you again," Eric pointed out and it sounded like he had made that argument a few times already. "Even if the chains won't hold you forever, at least it will buy us some time and that might make all the difference."</p>
<p>"I understand what you're saying, Eric," Godric replied softly. "But Liv is in pain and she needs to rest."</p>
<p>"I can do it," Liv argued, doing her best to straighten up. "I just… I need you to be safe. That's what I need."</p>
<p>Godric studied her for a long moment, but then nodded, probably reading the resolve on her face. He leaned down to breathe a soft kiss into her hair and then helped her up, steering her around to the other side of the bed.</p>
<p>"I'll lie on my front this time," Godric said softly, showing her the pile of chains that were still useable and offering her a pair of gloves so that she would be able to avoid skin contact. "You can secure my hands behind my back with one or two of the shorter chains and then use the longer ones to wrap around my body."</p>
<p>"Okay," Liv agreed and did her best to follow his directions, aided this time by Eric, who made some helpful suggestions and murmured his encouragements when she faltered.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Liv," Godric said when she was done, craning his neck beneath the thick cover of silver and giving her a soft smile. "Come lay down with us."</p>
<p>"In the middle," Eric added.</p>
<p>"I don't want to hurt you," Liv protested. "I'm fine here."</p>
<p>"And we'll be better when we have you beside us," Godric replied gently with an encouraging smile and Liv gave up on arguing, having to admit to herself that sitting on the edge of the bed when she still felt unbalanced and vertiginous probably wasn't a very sensible idea.</p>
<p>So she carefully settled between them and pulled one of the duvets up around her shoulders, burying into the soft, protective warmth and hoping it would help against her shaking, against the feeling of being exposed.</p>
<p>"Try to get some sleep, Liv," Godric told her softly.</p>
<p>"I don't think I can sleep," Liv whispered, knowing that even if she managed to fall asleep her dreams would be plagued by nightmares. "But I think I'll close my eyes for a bit."</p>
<p>She wished she had remembered to turn down the lights because even the soft glow from the bedside lamps and the overhead light felt like needles being rammed into her optical nerves. Godric and Eric murmured something in agreement and she tugged the duvet a little higher and hugged her arms around herself.</p>
<hr/>
<p>(1) Take heart. Liv will watch over us.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. E lucevan le stelle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>13. E lucevan le stelle – Tosca – Giacomo Puccini</strong>
</p>
<p>Her cellphone gave a shrill beep five minutes before sunset, startling her from the light doze she'd fallen into. There was still a pounding behind her temples and her vision blurred for a moment when she sat up too quickly, but at least she was no longer assailed by visions, the memories and images filed almost neatly into the crammed shelves of her library of death.</p>
<p>"I'm okay," Liv said in reply to Godric's worried query, gently running her fingers through his hair before turning to check on Eric. "How are you two holding up?"</p>
<p>"Spending the day in silver is not as fun as you'd imagine," Eric replied with a grunt, blinking his eyes open.</p>
<p>"I don't think Liv ever imagined that it would be fun," Godric said reproachfully and Eric rolled his eyes at him before giving Liv a quirked smile. "You're looking better at least."</p>
<p>"I'm feeling better," Liv agreed, carefully scooting to the end of the bed so as not to jostle them too much. "And so will you, once I get those chains off of you. I'll heat up some Tru Blood while we wait for sunset. Any preferences?"</p>
<p>"Anything will be fine," Godric told her gently and Liv got two bottles out of the fridge and popped them into the microwave, pouring herself a glass of orange juice while she waited.</p>
<p>Her phone beeped again and she quickly put down her glass and hastened back over to the bed.</p>
<p>"Eric first," Godric said and Liv just nodded and knelt down to unlock the chains from the steel bars before carefully freeing Eric from the painful restraints.</p>
<p>When she had finally got all the silver off of him, dropping it in a careless pile at the foot of the bed, she made Eric sit up against the headboard and handed him one of the bottles of Tru Blood before she turned to Godric to repeat the process.</p>
<p>Finally, both vampires were freed off their chains and she made sure that Godric was settled as comfortably as possible against the headboard before turning to get the second Tru Blood, reheating it again for a few seconds. When she turned back around, she found that the two vampires had drifted together and were sharing Eric's bottle. It made her smile a little before she noticed that even though Eric had been out of his chains for almost a quarter of an hour now, his wounds still hadn't started to heal, the same being true for Godric, whose wounds were even deeper and burned into almost every inch of his body.</p>
<p>"Why aren't you healing?" she asked worriedly.</p>
<p>"We are; it will just take time after such a long exposure to silver," Godric explained, holding out his hand to her as they made room for her on the bed.</p>
<p>"And contrary to marketing promises, Tru Blood is not given to make hearts race," Eric added, raising the bottle in an ironic toast to her.</p>
<p>"Would having some of my blood help?" Liv asked, continuing when Godric started to shake his head. "I already cleared it with Patricia and we talked about this. You haven't had my blood in more than four months and I trust you two not to take more than Patricia does during a standard blood test."</p>
<p>Godric was still shaking his head, but Eric was curiously quiet.</p>
<p>"I hate seeing you like this. And I hate that even with all my medical training there's nothing I can do to help you. But this I can do, this I can offer. And I think I would feel much better if you just let me."</p>
<p>Godric sighed, carefully brushing a lock of her hair behind her shoulder. "I worry, Liv. I don't want you to get hurt again."</p>
<p>"I didn't get hurt because of you," Liv argued, knowing that that was the crux of the matter. "I got hurt because of magic and because of my own abilities."</p>
<p>"And because of my thick skull," Eric added helpfully.</p>
<p>"I pushed you. I should never have treated you so carelessly," Godric insisted painfully.</p>
<p>"You were under a spell and despite that I could still feel you holding back, trying to protect me," Liv clarified, brushing the softest kiss against Godric's cheek. "Godric, I bumped my head, that's all. And the fact that you're so upset about that tells me really all I need to know. I'm okay, I promise, but you two still look like you've escaped from a morgue so can we please fix that?"</p>
<p>"No more than a few drops," Godric compromised after a long moment of consideration. "That should be enough to start the healing process."</p>
<p>Liv nodded agreeably, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. "Okay."</p>
<p>They did a bit of shifting and shuffling and the two vampires conferred silently for a moment before Eric asked her if she was sure that she wanted to include him in this offer.</p>
<p>"I meant it, you know, when I said you'd always have my permission," Liv replied softly. "I know that the baby and I are in good hands with the two of you."</p>
<p>"We will not betray that trust," Godric vowed earnestly, answering her smile a bit more cautiously. "I think Eric should go first, though. If he should forget to exercise moderation, I can command him as his maker, but if I should lose control, it would be difficult for Eric to contain me in his weakened state. If that's okay for you?"</p>
<p>Liv nodded again, refraining from pointing out that Godric had never once lost control with her and was, in her humble opinion, unlikely to do so now. Instead she waited for some further indications from Eric, quite happy when Eric pulled her to rest with her back against his chest, gathering her hair to one side and slinging one strong arm around her waist.</p>
<p>"This might pinch a little," he warned teasingly, blowing his cool breath against her neck. "Ready?"</p>
<p>"Ready," Liv agreed, meeting Godric's eyes and then slipping her hand into Eric's to initiate contact.</p>
<p>She felt another puff of air against the sensitive skin of her neck, the nipping touch of Eric's lips and the small shock of pain as his fangs punched into her flesh. And then Liv felt a rush of endorphins, a wave of pure relaxation that made her feel pleasantly boneless even as Eric was already pulling back again a mere few seconds later.</p>
<p>He hummed appreciatively, once more swiping his tongue over the fresh bite mark and lapping up another drop of blood before he carefully released her into Godric's waiting arms.</p>
<p>The older vampire just held her for a few moments, lightly caressing her sides and probably monitoring her heartbeat and breathing as he waited for her to reiterate her consent and lightly brush her fingers against his cheek. His lips kissed petal-softly along her throat before he closed them gently over the bite mark, not even extending his fangs as he suckled on the fresh puncture marks for just a few moments.</p>
<p>Liv sighed, almost a little disappointed, when he drew back and pricked his index finger on his fangs, gently rubbing the drop of his own blood over the bite mark to heal it. She blinked her eyes open, pushing away slightly to see that Godric's healing had already kicked in full force, the wounds disappearing from his body like they had been nothing more than a bad dream.</p>
<p>"Thank goodness!" Liv exhaled gustily and Godric gave her his most brilliant smile, gently cradling her face between his hands and pulling her in for a tender and thorough kiss.</p>
<p>"No, thank <strong>you</strong>, cridiíon imon," he corrected with soft emphasis, rubbing his thumbs over her cheekbones and breathing another kiss against her lips.</p>
<p>"Yes, thank you," Eric said from behind her, tapping her shoulder.</p>
<p>She turned around, wanting to make sure that Eric's wounds were also healing, but caught only a glimpse of smooth skin stretched over perfectly sculpted muscles before she was interrupted by Eric's lips on hers, light and yet demanding. She gasped in surprise and Eric took full advantage of it to deepen the kiss, pulling her against his body while simultaneously pressing her backwards so that she once more came to rest in Godric's arms.</p>
<p>"What was that?" Liv asked, touching her lips in confusion when Eric broke the kiss.</p>
<p>Eric smirked at her, seeming entirely too satisfied with himself. "You said I could kiss you once I regained my memories."</p>
<p>"I didn't know you'd want to," Liv pointed out. "I wasn't expecting that."</p>
<p>The blond vampire shrugged with another easy grin and flopped down next to them. "You're Godric's."</p>
<p>He seemed content to leave it at that, stretching lazily and throwing an arm over both of them, humming in approval when Godric's fingers slid into his hair. But it wasn't an answer, at least not to the question she hadn't quite put into words, and Liv huffed in frustration, twisting to look up at Godric when Eric didn't deign to open his eyes.</p>
<p>Godric kissed her softly on the lips before he explained, "You're mine, Liv, and I am yours. But Eric is mine, too, and I am his. We can't always draw a clear line between our hearts, our feelings, and you've become such an integral part to both of our lives that it can seem rather redundant to even try. So Eric kissed you because he wanted to kiss you, just as I wanted to kiss you, cridiíon imon. And because I think he wouldn't mind if you were his, just as you're mine."</p>
<p>"That's a lot of subtext to get from three words," Liv pointed out after a moment of silence, poking Eric in the chest until he blinked his eyes open. "Next time, use your own words."</p>
<p>"I'd rather use my mouth for other things," Eric shot back immediately, flashing her a cheeky grin, and promptly caught her wrist, nipping at the sensitive skin with blunt human teeth and cool lips.</p>
<p>Liv gasped, but just managed to roll her eyes. "I think I'll miss him a little, the Eric that wasn't such a smartass."</p>
<p>Eric only grinned again, stretching leisurely and showcasing his long, powerful body to full effect. "I knew you liked my ass."</p>
<p>"I don't think that's what Liv meant," Godric pointed out mildly, rubbing at a smear of blood that decorated Eric's abs. "We should rest for a bit, give our bodies time to heal fully."</p>
<p>Eric hummed in agreement and then swiftly pulled Liv down between them, wrapping his arms loosely around her middle and burying his nose in her hair. "I'm good."</p>
<p>Liv huffed good-naturedly, but then wiggled to get comfortable, smiling to herself when Godric placed a few small kisses on her cheeks and on the tip of her nose before tucking himself around both of them. She reached out to place her hand on his chest, lightly gliding her fingers over his cool skin, just enjoying the freedom to do so.</p>
<p>She sighed happily when Godric slid his hand under her jumper, his fingers painting careful spirals on her skin. A moment later, Eric also slipped his hand under her top, his touch surprisingly light and chaste, a question rather than a declaration.</p>
<p>"'s nice," Liv murmured, patting his arm. "Thank you."</p>
<p>"You're easy to please," Eric murmured in her ear with only a hint of teasing in his voice, his large hand continuing to trail lazily over her belly, over the small bump that was just starting to show.</p>
<p>"I'm just glad you're okay," Liv whispered. "I don't ever want to spend another day like this."</p>
<p>Godric squeezed her fingers reassuringly while Eric answered, "We won't give them the chance for another attempt at this. We'll deal with them once and for all tonight."</p>
<p>"And come back in one piece," Liv reminded him sternly.</p>
<p>Eric flashed her a daredevil grin, darting in to place a kiss on her lips. Liv froze, her body seizing in protest as the vision slammed into her with all the force of a freight train.</p>
<p>She saw Eric, dressed in his leather jacket, which always made him look just a little more dangerous. He was at the Moon Goddess Emporium with Godric and a few other vampires and humans she recognized, including Marnie – or was it Antonia? - and Sookie. The atmosphere was tense and hostile and most of the humans seemed to be trying to keep an equal distance between the vampires and Marnie herself as if they had decided that she might be posing a comparable or even greater threat to them than the assembled vampires. But there was one man still stood firmly at Marnie's side, stepping in front of her when someone called for her death. And then Eric was moving, faster than the eye could track, snapping the man's neck in one horribly smooth move.</p>
<p>Godric and Eric were still wrapped around her when she came back to reality though they had pulled one of the covers up around her to make sure there was no additional skin contact. Liv gasped, trying to get air back into her lungs and did her best not to flinch away from Eric even as she told them what she had seen.</p>
<p>Eric sighed when she had finished, exchanging a long look with Godric. "I can't apologize for that, Liv. I wish you hadn't had to see it, of course, but if that man is willing to stand up for someone who would see us all dead then I'm not sorry for ending his life."</p>
<p>Liv wrapped her arms tighter around her body. "I'm not looking for an apology… or a promise I know you won't be able to keep. But I don't think I will ever be okay with your idea of justice. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"You don't ever have to apologize for how you feel, cridiíon imon," Godric assured her, gently carding his fingers through her hair. "I know you were still hoping for a peaceful resolution."</p>
<p>Liv nodded softly, then shook her head because yes, she had hoped for that and a large part of her was appalled and horrified by what she had just seen, but another part just wanted this whole mess over and dealt with. "Just don't get hurt."</p>
<p>Godric nodded earnestly, giving her an encouraging smile and blowing a kiss against her lips, before the two vampires exchanged a look and Liv found herself scooped up into Eric's strong arms and lifted up off the bed.</p>
<p>"Godric's changing the sheets so that you can get some sleep," Eric explained. "And you should probably eat something."</p>
<p>"Maybe later," Liv replied, rolling her eyes at Eric's disagreeing huff. "As soon as my stomach has calmed down, I promise."</p>
<p>"I could make you some soup?" Godric offered hopefully as Eric set her back down on the fresh linens.</p>
<p>"I don't think I could eat anything right now," Liv replied, resting her hand on Godric's cheek, glad when no vision followed the brief contact.</p>
<p>"Then get some sleep, cridiíon imon," Godric murmured, blowing a soft kiss against her lips.</p>
<p>"And stop worrying. We'll be back before you know it," Eric added.</p>
<p>"I'll hold you to that," Liv gave back, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to Godric's lips. "I love you. Both of you."</p>
<p>"We love you, too," Godric answered, sharing a grin with her when Eric turned away and ostensibly busied himself with inspecting the damage done to the door. "Even if Eric is back to his usual self and won't say the words."</p>
<p>"If you two are quite done giggling," Eric threw over his shoulder. "Come help me with this. The metal is all bent out of shape and Sophie-Anne will be expecting us soon."</p>
<p>Godric rolled his eyes good-naturedly, smoothing the covers down over her before getting up to assist Eric. Liv watched them for a moment, but then curled up on her side and closed her eyes. She was a bit tired after all.</p>
<p>v---v</p>
<p>Liv slept for a few hours before she woke to her grumbling stomach. Eric and Godric had cleaned up most of the damage and cleared away the silver chains, but the safety door still looked a little worse for wear and wasn't closed fully. Godric must have damaged some of the wiring in his magic-fueled rage and Eric probably needed some more time to fix everything.</p>
<p>She took some time to freshen up and put on a new set of clothes before making her way upstairs to the delicious wonders of their fridge. After dinner, she decided to call Fiji and tell her that Eric had regained his memory so that the witch wouldn't invest a lot of time for nothing.</p>
<p>She found a text from Eric on her phone, which at least settled her nerves a little bit: /The witches are using a shield so it might take a little longer. We're fine. Stop worrying!/</p>
<p>/I will. Just as soon you get back home. Please be safe,/ she wrote back quickly, quirking a smile when Eric sent back a slew of mismatched emojis only a second later.</p>
<p>She wasn't quite sure what they were all supposed to mean, but the sentiment was clear enough and if Eric had taken the time to type them out, he and Godric probably weren't in the midst of fighting. That had to be enough for now.</p>
<p>"The Inquiring Mind, Fiji speaking." Fiji picked up after only a few rings, sounding cheery and fully awake, which was a relief because Liv had worried that it might already be too late to call her.</p>
<p>"Hi, this is Liv. From Shreveport?"</p>
<p>"Oh, hello, Liv! Did something happen? I hope you all stayed safe during the day?"</p>
<p>"Thank you, we're okay now. Do you know if Lemuel also felt the effects of the spell?" Liv asked.</p>
<p>"He took some precautions, but everything stayed quiet here. We weren't sure anything had happened, but then I saw a news report about an apparent vampire suicide near Shreveport…" Fiji replied, huffing out a long breath before rallying again. "I've been working on a healing ritual for Eric, but I'm still missing a few details, and I know Manfred has been scouring through his ancestors' journals to find a way to banish Antonia. I'm sure we'll have something for you soon."</p>
<p>"That's actually why I'm calling: Eric got his memory back so I don't think we'll be needing that ritual," Liv said hesitantly. "But anything you or Manfred might be able to find regarding Bill's condition or on ghost possession will be very welcome."</p>
<p>"That's good news! I'm happy that Eric is feeling better," Fiji replied kindly and then asked a few more questions about Bill's conditions and their encounters with Antonia before Liv's phone beeped with another call.</p>
<p>"Sorry, my boss is calling me so I have to go. But thank you for all your help. I really appreciate it. Goodnight, Fiji."</p>
<p>Fiji returned the sentiment and Liv ended the call so that she could pick up the one from the landline of the doctor's office.</p>
<p>"Patricia, hi."</p>
<p>"Hello, Liv," Patricia's voice filtered over the line. "I require your assistance with a patient. Could you come and meet me at the office?"</p>
<p>"Uh, sure." Liv blinked, a little surprised that the doctor had bothered with a greeting and had posed her request as a question. "I can be there in about fifteen minutes."</p>
<p>"That is excellent, thank you," Patricia said and hung up, leaving Liv slightly confused at the uncharacteristic interaction but overall mostly glad for the distraction.</p>
<p>It hadn't sounded like a particularly urgent emergency, but Liv still moved quickly through the familiar routine of getting ready, grabbing her bag and leaving a quick note for Godric and Eric in case they should return before her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Symphony No. 14 in C minor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <i><span class="u"><b>Warnings for this chapter</b></span>: Psychological torture, deprivation of personal liberty, non-consenual medical procedures.</i>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>14. Symphony No. 4 in C minor – Op. 43 - Dmitri Shostakovich</strong>
</p>
<p>Later, Liv couldn't have said if there had been anything out of the ordinary about her drive to the doctor's office. But then, she had been so preoccupied with her thoughts and worries about Godric and Eric that very little else had registered.</p>
<p>She had noticed that the lights had been off in their offices, but that was only a little unusual as some of their patients rather preferred conducting their business in darkness and habitually shunned the light. She remembered getting out of the car, her keys in her hand as she walked towards the entrance door. And then nothing.</p>
<p>In hindsight, she was all but certain that the call hadn't come from Patricia, who rarely used the landline and who would have found a way to warn her even if she had been under duress. The voice had been right, of course, but the words had been all wrong and she knew that some vampires were very skilled at imitating voices: Eric sometimes liked to copy Bill's voice and Southern accent to better make fun of him and she'd once heard Pam imitate Eric's voice on the phone when one of the vendors had been giving her trouble. So that phone call from the doctor's office hadn't been real; it had been a ruse to lure her into a trap and Liv hadn't been alert enough to question the inconsistencies.</p>
<p>Based on how much her head hurt and the small bump she could feel when she pushed her fingers through her hair, she had also surmised that he had knocked her out with a deliberate hit on the head, fast enough that she had not even had a second to panic. Though she had had ample opportunity to make up for lost time since then. Too much time.</p>
<p>"What have you done to Godric?" she demanded of her captor.</p>
<p>"That is a curious question to ask," Dr. Walker – please call me Alin – replied. "I would have assumed your first concern would be for yourself and your baby."</p>
<p>"I can see the ultrasound," Liv pointed out, checking the screen again and trying her best not to flinch away when the slender vampire leaned forward to adjust one of the settings. "I don't need you to interpret those results for me. What have you done to Godric?"</p>
<p>"Why do you believe that I have done anything to him?"</p>
<p>"Because it's been more than two days and Godric would have come for me if he could," Liv said, hastily wiping the ultrasound gel off her belly when Alin finished the exam and rolling out of bed on the other side from him, taking a few steps back for further measure.</p>
<p>"It has been three days actually. You slept through the first day," Alin answered in his softly apologetic voice as if it pained him to contradict her.</p>
<p>"That's not my point," Liv gave back, biting back a sharp retort that she wouldn't have 'slept' so long if Alin hadn't hit her on the head. "And you still haven't answered my question."</p>
<p>"Of course, I apologize. On my word, I have done nothing to Godric or any of your friends," Alin replied, slowly raising his hand to forestall her objections. "I can tell that Godric gave you some of his blood and so you are right to believe that he would be alerted to any shifts in your mood. Sadly that meant that I had to approach you in a less than genteel manner to avoid a perhaps violent confrontation. But you need not worry about that now as this house has been warded against vampires a long time ago. He will not be able to find you here."</p>
<p>"Warded against your brother," Liv concluded, watching Alin warily as he cleaned off and powered down the ultrasound machine with calm, measured movements.</p>
<p>Alin inclined his head. "Given Korun's mercurial moods and his oftentimes erratic and hostile behavior it became an unfortunate necessity. Though I must admit that I have come to enjoy the solitude it provides me in this hectic day and age."</p>
<p>Liv didn't return the smile he sent her. "Then why do you seek revenge for his death? You obviously understood the danger he posed to you – let alone to the rest of the world."</p>
<p>"I am not seeking revenge. I know it is a horrible thing to say, but I was almost relieved when I heard of his death. I certainly do not blame Sheriff Northman for his role in it," Alin replied, moving towards the small table where he had set down a plastic serving tray earlier, inviting her with a hand gesture to join him; she didn't move from her position, her back pressed against the tiled wall and the bed between them.</p>
<p>"You abducted me," Liv pressed out, barely keeping her voice even.</p>
<p>"I have been remiss in making my intentions clear," Alin admitted. "Please have a seat. I will be happy to answer your questions while you eat something. You must be hungry."</p>
<p>He lifted the cloche off, revealing a plate filled with mashed potatoes, peas and some kind of meat, all of which looked suspiciously like it came straight from a hospital cafeteria. Her stomach still grumbled approvingly.</p>
<p>She had found another similar tray the day before, but she hadn't touched it, instead emptying out the glass of orange juice and filling it with water from the tap to quench the worst of her hunger. But she knew that wasn't a feasible long-term plan. Besides, she doubted that poison was what she had to fear from him.</p>
<p>She pushed off from the wall, reluctantly took the few steps towards the table and sat down in the chair. "If not for revenge, why have you brought me here?"</p>
<p>"The opposite: redemption," Alin said, nudging the serving tray towards her and waiting for her to take a first cautious bite before he continued, "Though of course you were not wrong to see a connection to my brother and the lasting damage he has done to our standing with humans. Seldom has humanity been so united in their fear and distrust of us."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, but I fail to see how abducting me will change that," Liv replied, poking at the mystery meat on her plate and then opting for a spoonful of tomato soup instead. "Right now, it's not your brother who's giving me a reason to fear and distrust vampires."</p>
<p>"I apologize, Miss Liv, I understand why you must think so. Truthfully, when I decided to visit Sheriff Northman's area again I was just hoping to offer my assistance and penance in whatever form he felt willing to accept. I did not expect this. But surely you must see the potential." He leaned forward eagerly and Liv scooted away from the table, away from him, though the vampire hardly seemed to notice her unease in his sudden enthusiasm. "A child fathered by a vampire! Can you imagine what that means? Humans fear us because they think we do not value life and in too many cases they are right, but this… this will change everything! Not only how humans see us, but how we see ourselves. The synthetic blood has been a valuable invention, but in truth nothing more than a political stratagem. We are still all too happy to give in to our predatory natures, to remain parasites and pariahs of society, telling ourselves that somehow that makes us superior when in fact we are only trying to distract ourselves from the pointlessness of our existence. But if we could sire children, create life instead of just leeching it… it would change everything!"</p>
<p>Liv pressed her teeth together until her jaw hurt, clenched her hands into fists until her nails bit painfully into her flesh. The lie came easily this time, masked by anger and fear, "I don't know what you're talking about - vampires can't sire children. Godric and I used artificial insemination. I trust you know of the method."</p>
<p>Alin shook his head and gave her a chiding look. "Blood does not lie, Miss Liv, and Sheriff Northman was very clear that this child is of Godric's bloodline when you drove him home in your car."</p>
<p>"If you heard our conversation, you must know that Eric was under a spell. He was confused; he didn't know his own name and you think he's a reliable source of information on medical issues?" Liv asked, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.</p>
<p>"I did indeed take note of his disorientation and I was skeptical of his assessment at first," Alin replied mildly. "Which is why I took the liberty of verifying his claims against your medical file."</p>
<p>Something clicked in Liv's mind, the image of a young man, his body carelessly discarded like trash after his life had been cut short by a lethal cocktail of stolen drugs - and by someone who should have been bound by medical ethics and professional integrity to do no harm, but who had disregarded all of that because it suited his ends. Suddenly, Liv had no trouble seeing the family resemblance.</p>
<p>"You glamoured that man to break into our offices. And then you killed him," she pressed out angrily.</p>
<p>"I granted him a peaceful end to his wretched existence," the russet-haired vampire demurred, as if this murder had been nothing more than a painful necessity.</p>
<p>Liv felt like she might be sick or start screaming if she opened her mouth, a cold shiver of fear racing up her spine.</p>
<p>"There is no mention of artificial insemination or even a preliminary consultation regarding in your medical records and given how scrupulously precise and detailed the rest of the records are, that did not strike me as a mere oversight," Alin continued calmly. "And once I knew to look it was not hard to ascertain the truth for myself, though of course I understand why you would protest it now. You think as a mother and that is very commendable; I do not expect you to grasp the greater implications."</p>
<p>Liv took a deep, deep breath, trying to push down her emotions so that she could actually get some answers. "How does any of that explain why you kidnapped me?"</p>
<p>Alin gave her a patient smile. "I understand that you would simply like to rejoice in this miracle, as any mother should, but I have a much greater obligation as a scientist. This could be a turning point for humans and vampires alike - but only if we can harness its full potential and achieve reproducibility."</p>
<p>Perhaps he had hoped that his answer would go right over her head, but Liv understood only too well, the floor tilting dangerously under her feet as she got up too abruptly. "You brought me here to be your lab rat."</p>
<p>"Please, such crude words are quite unnecessary," Alin corrected, getting up and trying to usher her back into her seat, though she only shied back further until he finally subsided. "You are first and foremost my patient and will receive the very best of care. I may prescribe a few additional tests, but you need not concern yourself with those details. And of course I shall avoid any unnecessary physical contact in deference to your diagnosis with haphephobia. Now please, eat, rest. I will come to visit you soon so that we may discuss your further care."</p>
<p>He was gone before Liv could protest, the glass door to her prison sealing shut behind him and the lights in the outer lab dimming to energy-saving safety lighting. Liv felt the walls closing in around her, her heart slamming in a frantic rhythm against her ribcage and her breathing turning into ineffective gasps. She stumbled back, fumbled blindly to unlatch the small separated stall that housed a toilet, a wash basin and a fixed showerhead, hoping the flimsy plastic wall would provide at least some cover. She tried to catch herself against the wash basin, but her legs crumpled beneath her as her vision grayed, all the color leeching out of the world. She pulled her knees up to her chest and tucked herself into the smallest possible space, trying to contain the trembles of her body and the panic in her mind.</p>
<p>Alin might have couched it all in the most palliative terms possible, but his meaning couldn't have been more brutally clear. He could call it redemption or refer to her as his patient, but it didn't change the fact that he had abducted her and put her in a cage with every intention of keeping her there until he had squeezed the mystery of her pregnancy out of her. She wrapped her arms protectively around her middle, shielding the little life growing inside of her, and almost thought she could feel the smallest flutter of movement in response.</p>
<p>"I'll keep you safe. Godric will come for us," she vowed fiercely, caressing shaking fingers over her belly.</p>
<p>But she didn't know if either was a promise she could really make. In the first few hours after she had woken up alone in this pseudo hospital room, she'd been mostly calm, worried but not overly panicked, thinking that Godric and Eric would come and free her as soon as they noticed her absence. She'd inspected her cell, tried the door and even attempted to pick the lock with one of her hairpins, but mostly she'd tried to focus her thoughts to hopefully make it easier for Godric to find her.</p>
<p>When hours had passed and nothing had happened, she had consoled herself with the thought that it must be daylight out and bided her time, keeping a wary watch of the door in case her captor showed up. She'd missed his entrance, though, startling from a restless sleep to find that someone had brought a tray of food for her, but no other sign that she wasn't as alone as she felt. More hours had passed and Liv's nerves had started to fray, her optimism dwindling with all the horrible ideas and explanations that spun through her mind – first and foremost that Godric might be hurt, that Antonia might have been even more dangerous than they had assumed, that Alin might have done something to him to keep him away.</p>
<p>She had also started to worry about her own situation, about what might happen to her and the baby, but somehow, this scenario hadn't crossed her mind, not even when she had recognized Dr. Alin Walker, Russell Edgington's brother and maker, as her captor.</p>
<p>Russell Edgington had worn his madness for all to see, had killed a news anchor on live TV and declared war on humanity at large, and Liv had felt for his mild-mannered, soft-spoken brother, who'd seemed so burdened under centuries of guilt, had even admired him for his work and dedication to the Blaustein Pain Treatment Center. She hadn't expected him to take his desire to make amends, all his good intentions, to such an extreme. And Godric, Eric and Pam probably hadn't imagined anything like this, either, when they had warned her of the dangers of any vampire finding out about her pregnancy.</p>
<p>She pressed her hands to her mouth to stifle a sob. Three days. Three days and Godric hadn't come, probably had no idea where she was or if she was even alive if Alin's claims about his security measures were true. Her body was still trembling and she felt cold all over, but she forced herself to her feet, clinging to the cool porcelain of the wash basin to get herself upright. She looked about as terrible as she felt, pale and drawn, dark circles under her eyes and cold sweat on her brow. But that didn't matter; her fear didn't matter. She turned on the water and held her wrists under the cold stream, slowed her breathing, counted to ten – and then to twenty – until her panic became mere background noise, until she felt something like resolve and determination harden within her.</p>
<p>Godric would come; he and Eric wouldn't stop looking for her and sooner or later they would find her. She just had to hold out until then, protect her baby from whatever mad-scientist-routine Alin was likely to come up with and be ready when they did. She splashed some water in her face and then closed the tap.</p>
<p>She took a moment to look around the small enclosed space, noticing the same stark white tiles as in the main cell, a stack of neatly folded mint-green towels and a towering wall of toilet paper. No camera, at least not in here. But she'd spotted the small red light from the security camera in the main room, fixed in one of the corners and pointed at the bed. It most likely monitored much of the seating area and the door as, though she didn't know if it captured sounds. It probably didn't matter either way, with Alin's vampire hearing.</p>
<p>She threw herself another look in the mirror, straightening her spine and raising her chin, before she left the bathroom to inspect the remaining parts of her prison. Much like the meal tray, the sparse furniture and the set-up looked as if they had been taken right out of a hospital: the bed was made up in starched white sheets over a thin mattress and stood in the middle of the long side of the room, offering easy access on both sides; the seating area was composed of two greyish-blue chairs and a small plastic table in front of the large observation window that enclosed the space on three sides.</p>
<p>Beyond that, she could see parts of a lab, not unlike the one Patricia had in her basement, though this one looked almost painfully accurate, everything spaced out equally and drawn into straight, parallel lines as if Alin had measured everything with a ruler. There were no windows to the outside and only one door that looked heavy and was surely locked, even if Liv had been able to get past the door that kept her in her prison. And it was that, she thought, frowning at her mostly untouched tray of food and the pale, unappetizing sludge her soup had turned into.</p>
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